FairTest Commentary: Chicago Strike Echos High-Stakes Testing Resistance
for further information: Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 cell (239) 699-0468 for immediate release, Tuesday, September 11, 2012 CHICAGO STRIKE ECHOES NATIONAL HIGH-STAKES TESTING RESISTANCE; EDUCATORS, PARENTS AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS SEEK ASSESSMENT REFORMS NOT DRIVEN BY STANDARDIZED EXAM RESULTS The Chicago teachers strike is the latest example of the growing national resistance to failed, top-down, test-driven […]
Resistance to High Stakes Testing Spreads
Thu, 08/23/2012 – 9:55pm Resistance to High Stakes Testing Spreads A national resolution to limit standardized testing is gathering support. By: Bob Schaeffer District Administration, September 2012 Resistance to High Stakes Testing SpreadsMembers of the American Federation of Teachers react to comments made at their annual conference this past summer in which AFT President Randi […]
Testing Reform in the News — August 8 – 14, 2012
If you find these news updates helpful to your work, please consider making a donation to FairTest to support the staff time that goes into scanning dozens of sources and selecting the most relevant stories. You can make a secure donation by credit card online at: https://secure.entango.com/donate/MnrXjT8MQqk or mail a check to: FairTest, P.O. Box […]
FairTest Press Release on 2012 ACT Results
for further information: Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 cell (239) 699-0468 for use with annual ACT scores release – 3:00am, Wednesday, August 22, 2012 STAGNANT ACT RESULTS, GROWING RACIAL SCORE GAPS MORE EVIDENCE THAT TEST-BASED SCHOOL “REFORM” IS ON WRONG TRACK; “WHY ARE POLICY-MAKERS DOUBLING DOWN ON A FAILED STRATEGY?” Flat ACT college admissions exam scores […]
NEW SCHOOL YEAR: DOUBLING DOWN ON FAILED ED. POLICY
NEW SCHOOL YEAR: DOUBLING DOWN ON FAILED ED. POLICY Washington Post “The Answer Sheet” Blog — August 9, 2012 This was written by Lisa Guisbond, a policy analyst for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, known as FairTest, a Boston-based organization that aims to improve standardized testing practices and evaluations of students, teachers […]
Testing Reform in the News — July 31 – Aug. 7, 2012
Testing Reform Allies: After reading this week’s installment of clips, remember to take advantage of the many excellent fact sheets, some recently updated, on all facets of assessment reform available for free at http://www.fairtest.org. They are designed to support your grassroots public education work, including writing letters to the editor about these articles, posting on […]
Testing Reform in the News — July 25 – 31, 2012
So many great articles about assessment controversies, so little time to read them all. Here’s a sampling of the most significant from the past week. AFT Urges Focus on Student Learning, Not Standardized Testing http://www.freep.com/article/20120727/NEWS05/307270106/Teachers-union-to-urge-focus-on-teaching-learning-not-standardized-testing Serious Design Flaw Suspected in State Test http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/education/texas-studies-suggest-test-design-flaw-in-taks.html Time to Fire Pearson http://jasonstanford.org/2012/07/time-to-fire-pearson/ Tests Don’t Assess What Really Matters http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/07/29/can-school-performance-be-measured-fairly/tests-dont-assess-what-really-matters […]
Testing Reform in the News — July 18 – 24, 2012
Can’t recall a summer with so much assessment reform activity — has the public (and media) finally recognized that high-stakes testing has “jumped the shark?” Join the Rebellion to Halt Standardized Tests — A Model Letter-to-the-Editor Which You Can Easily Adapt and Submit http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20120719/OPINION02/307190013/Letters-to-the-editor-7-19 The Role of Testing in School Improvement — NYTimes Sunday Dialogue […]
Testing Reform in the News — July 12 – July 17, 2012
Lots of good stories from around the U.S. and across the Atlantic Testing Overkill Earns State an “F” — FairTest featured in Orlando Sentinel Q & A http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/os-ed-front-and-center-fairtest-071712-20120716,0,5604784.story Doublethink: Creativity vs Testing — an essay from Yong Zhao http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36zhao_ep.h31.html Should Multinational Pearson be Influencing Our Educational Policy? — incisive reporting from the U.K http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jul/16/pearson-multinational-influence-education-poliy Return […]
Testing Reform in the News — July 5 – July 11, 2012
Despite heat, drought and power failures, there’s still lots of interesting news from across North America Computer Glitch Stymies Diploma Exams — a warning from Canada http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/alberta/Computer+glitch+stymies+Grade+diploma+exams/6896759/story.html Georgia Educators Blast Teacher Evaluation System — a well-documented case against “value-added” educator assessment http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/georgia-professors-blast-teacher-evaluation-system/2012/07/09/gJQAFhSbZW_blog.html DC Test Erasures Still an Unsolved Mystery — Michelle Rhee’s enduring legacy http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/erasures-the-unsolved-mystery/2012/07/09/gJQAbVOKXW_blog.html […]