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In the midst of an uncontrolled pandemic, it makes no sense to force schools to administer standardized exam to K-12 students or college applicants.  You can help give FairTest the muscle to continue leading effective, campaigns for public school test suspensions and ACT/SAT-optional admissions policies.  Contribute today to keep winning assessment reform victories!  Click

The test-and-punish customary suspects are circling the wagons in an attempt to pre-empt widespread waivers of standardized exam mandates for the upcoming school year (if and when it begins).

As schools plan to re-open this fall or winter, at least in some form, two states, Georgia and Michigan, have already requested waivers from federal testing requirements for the 2020-2021 academic year. Make sure your state becomes part of the rapidly growing assessment reform movement -- contact FairTest for model proposals and strategic guidance.

Two steps forward, one step back.  At the same time assessment reform activists are pressing to have standardized exams waived for the upcoming school year -- if classes even resume this fall -- the test-and-punish crowd is pushing to restore previous requirements  .  .  .  and then some! 

The movement to suspend standardized testing requirements at least for the 2020-2021 academic year is growing rapidly at both the K-12 and college admissions levels.  Now is the time for activists to seize the opportunity created by COVID-19 school closures to press for lasting assessment reforms.

Building on recent successes (no K-12 standardized exams this past spring and 1,250 colleges now ACT/SAT-optional), activists  -- often with FairTest assistance and materials -- are turning their attention to extending testing suspensions for at least another year. To help win more victories, please support FairTest's assessment reform leadership -- including these weekly updates -- by making as generous as possible a contribution today.  Either click here:

This week's top story describes in rich detail the current opportunity for assessment reformers to transform educational testing across the U.S.   Be sure to read the piece to the end to see FairTest's agenda for K-12 testing reform. Now is the time to connect with like-minded individuals in your state and community.  Feel free to contact FairTest for assistance building winning local campaigns!

National The Beginning of the End for U.S. Testing Obsession, Including Initial Steps for Assessment Reform

Talk about a "sea change"in assessment policy-- No statewide K-12 school testing took place this spring, and more than half of all U.S. 4-year colleges and universities will be ACT/SAT-optional for fall 2021 applicants

More tests are being suspended, and there's growing pressure to extend the policies into the 2021-2022 school year.   It's time to start pressuring your local and state officials to make sure standardized exams are not added to the burdens students, teachers and educational administrators must face if and when classrooms reopen.

As policy-makers debate re-opening classrooms later this year, momentum is growing to continue the suspension of K-12 testing mandates at least into the next academic year.   Already at the undergraduate admissions level, about half of all bachelor-degree granting institutions have announced ACT/SAT-optional for Fall 2021 admissions and, in many case, future years.  Parents, educators and community leaders need to pressure public schools to follow suit.

California Legislation Advances to Extend District Flexibility to Suspend Standardized Exams