Author: FairTest

FairTest has compiled state and district case studies on how testing reform activists rolled back the amount of testing. The case studies are part of FairTest’s report,Test Reform Victories Surge in 2017: What’s Behind the Winning Strategies?. It highlights one state and seven districts. The report provides a summary of lessons learned from these struggles […]

Week by week, grassroots assessment reform campaigns grow ever stronger, winning more reductions in standardized exam misuse and overuse by states and cities. Demonstrating the depth of support for the movement, new governors elected this month in New Jersey and Virginia both advocated an overhaul of high-stakes testing policies. Remember that past issues of these […]

States continue to reduce testing overkill — particularly by rolling back high school exit exam requirements — as evidence increasingly demonstrates the many flaws of reliance on standardized tests to make high-stakes educational decisions. National Take Advantage of ESSA Opportunity to Improve Assessmentshttps://www.districtadministration.com/article/1217-mn Florida Replace Test-Based Teacher Bonuses with Real Salary Hikeshttp://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20171031/editorial-raise-salaries-for… Georgia School Quality […]

This is the season when many states issue “school grades” or “report cards” that are based largely on standardized exam results. As in past years, a string of scoring and data reporting errors reveals how counter-productive this politically motivated process can be. Meanwhile, more jurisdictions are considering eliminating or minimizing their high school graduation testing […]

The drumbeat of criticism against high-stakes testing grows ever stronger as more evidence shows that the nation’s standardized exam fixation is undermining both educational quality and equity. Nevada is the latest state to retreat from making major school decisions, such as eligibility for a high school diploma, on the basis of test scores. NationalWhy Education […]

Parents, educators, students and education activists continue to escalate the fight to replace standardized exam misuse and overuse with better forms of assessment. Meanwhile, the testing industry provides even more fodder for reform campaigns with more scoring screw-ups and fights over contract awards. ArizonaState’s Letter Grades Punish Schools for Teaching Poor Kidshttp://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2017/10/10/arizona-letter-grades-punish-schools-teaching-poor-students/749343001/ CaliforniaHigh School Exit […]

Please help FairTest celebrate “Deb Meier Hero in Education” winners — Schott Foundation President John Jackson and Mass. Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni — by making a contribution in their honor at:https://fairtest.org.networkforgood.com/events/3235-fairtest-celebrates-john… National Overwhelming Percentages of Math, English Teachers Oppose Current Testshttp://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2017/10/teachers_say_state_st… Arizona Ongoing Problems With Test Scores and Their Misusehttps://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2017/10/03/why-i-keep-wri… California Voters Endorse Recent […]

Many of this week’s stories reflect the growing recognition that standardized exam scores do not accurately reflect the realities of student academic achievement or school quality. That’s why an ever-increasing number of states and districts are cutting back on the volume of tests and the stakes attached to their results. ArizonaState’s School Letter Grades Are […]

Please help FairTest honor this year’s Deborah Meier “Hero in Education” awardees — Massachusetts Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni and Schott Foundation President John H. Jackson — by buying tickets to the October 26 event or making a contribution to support assessment reform at:https://fairtest.org.networkforgood.com/events/3235-fairtest-celebrates-john… National NAEP History Test Deserves a “F” for Measuring Critical Thinkinghttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/09/19/the-natio… […]

for further information: Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 mobile (239) 699-0468 embargoed for use with 2017 College Board SAT scores after 6:00am Tuesday, September 26, 2017 2017 SAT SCORES “CAN’T BE COMPARED TO PREVIOUS RESULTS” BECAUSE “REDESIGNED” EXAM IS “MARKETING PLOY DESIGNED TO SELL MORE TESTS”; LAUNCH FAILS TO SLOW SURGE OF SCHOOLS BECOMING TEST-OPTIONAL; 980+ […]