cheating

PEARSON’S HISTORY OF TESTING PROBLEMS

compiled by Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director

FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing

Updated June 11, 2019

1998 California – test score delivery delayed

1999-2000 Arizona – 12,000 tests misgraded due to flawed answer key

2000 Florida – test score delivery delayed resulting in $4 million fine

Anyone who still believes that the resistance to testing misuse and overuse is confined to a few big cities and "liberal" activists, should click through this week's news clips. In fact, testing protests are spreading across "deep red" states" such as Alaska, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. And "conservative" commentators are speaking out against standardized exam overkill.

FairTest's newsblasts are designed to help keep activists and journalists up to date about the status of the testing resistance and reform movement while also providing resources and models for effective organizing.  Please let us know the email addresses of any colleagues who would benefit from these weekly updates.

New Gallup Poll Shows Americans "Fed Up" With Testing Overkill
http://fairtest.org/fairtest-press-release-new-poll-shows-americans-fe

Over the summer, there's been a sharp increase in investigative reports about the companies that make standardized exams, the fraudulent school grades derived from them, and the collateral damage from testing overkill. All of this will be valuable ammunition to escalate assessment reform campaigns when school resumes as soon as next week in some parts of the south and west.

How much more evidence do policy makers need before they recognize that test-and-punish policies have failed? Learning gains have stagnated, progress toward closing the "achievement gap" has stalled, and their constituents increasingly reject the strategy. Even some of their strongest newspaper editorial page allies -- including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times -- are saying that it is time to look at alternative approaches.  Enough is enough!

Major National Survey Finds Parents Strongly Oppose Standardized Testing Misuse and Overuse

for further information:
                                Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
                                         cell  (239) 699-0468

for immediate release, Thursday, March 28, 2013

By Robert Schaeffer

Across the U.S., the politically mandated misuse of standardized tests is damaging public schools and the children they serve. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s investigation of suspicious test scores around the nation is just the latest example. Experts may debate the methodology, but there is no question that cheating on standardized exams is widespread. In just the past three academic years, FairTest has documented confirmed cases of test score manipulation in 33 states plus the District of Columbia.