Author: FairTest

The U.S. Department of Education’s initial refusal to grant broad waivers of federal standardized exam mandates this year has set the stage for a high-stakes political fight. FairTest is leading the national push back against the Biden Administration’s stubborn insistence on requiring mass, standardized testing in spring 2021, despite the lingering impacts of the pandemic […]

Angry parents, educators and many state policy makers are pushing back aggressively against the Biden Administration’s refusal to grant comprehensive waivers from spring 2021 student testing mandates. The decision by DC-insiders to double down on administering standardized exams as schools just begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed a broad, diverse opt-out movement […]

From coast to coast angry parents, educators, community leaders and policy makers are pushing back at the Biden Administration’s refusal to issue blanket waivers suspending spring 2021 federal testing mandates during a pandemic. Leaders in several states are continuing to advocate for their original test cancellation proposals. Elsewhere education officials are responding by eliminating their […]

The backlash to the Biden Administration’s refusal to grant states “blanket” waivers from spring 2021 federal testing requirements is sharp and growing rapidly. Here’s FairTest’s agenda: – Push the U.S. Department of Education and Congress to reverse plans to deny comprehensive testing waivers – Pressure states to request maximum possible student assessment flexibility for the […]

What a week! A letter from the Biden Administration’s Department of Education asserting that it will reject waivers seeking cancellation of all spring 2021 federally mandated testing, which 10 states had already requested, unleashed a storm of protest from parents, teachers and community leaders, as well as top local and state policy makers. One measure […]

The Biden Administration’s decision to require the administration of federally mandated standardized exams this year contradicts the judgement of parents, educators, and community leaders. At least 10 states had already prepared test waiver requests, both major teacher unions oppose the exams, and polls showed that a majority of parents wanted tests suspended. Claiming that assessment […]

It’s time to ratchet up pressure on federal and state officials to cancel K-12 standardized exams in spring 2021. Make sure that all your friends and allies have joined the 10,000+ parents, teachers and community leaders who have already signed the “National Call to Suspend High-Stakes Testing.” The petition will be delivered to Miguel Cardona, […]

Push comes to shove as more states mount pressure on the U.S. Department of Education to allow waivers of spring 2021 standardized exam requirements. Parents, teachers, education administrators, school board members and community leaders need to keep the heat on their elected representatives to suspend both federal and state mandated tests for at least another […]

More than 1,000 individuals attended last week’s, FairTest-sponsored “Town Hall on How and Why to Suspending High-Stakes Testing in Spring 2021” with Rep. Jamaal Bowman and many excellent assessment reform experts– if you missed the event, the video is now online: Test Suspension Town Hall YouTubehttps://youtu.be/pzZjtg6ODs8Meanwhile, state after state is joining the movement to press […]

Momentum is building to cancel high-stakes standardized exams scheduled for this spring. Both Michigan and New York have begun the process of seeking federal testing waivers, with the latter explicitly admitting that exams “cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered to all students.” Here’s what you can do to increase the pressure – Join the […]