Testing Resistance & Reform News: November 14 – 20, 2018
A very Happy Thanksgiving to all! FairTest is especially thankful for all the grassroots activists and policymakers who have won so many assessment reform victories in 2018. You can help the movement to end testing misuse and overuse become even stronger by making your “Giving Tuesday” donation to FairTest during this holiday week. National Debate […]
Common Core Assessment Myths and Realities: Moratorium Needed From More Tests, Costs, Stress
NOTE: FOR A PRINT FORMATED PDF COPY OF THIS FACT SHEET CLICK HERE. FOR FAIRTEST’S INFOGRAPHIC ON THE COMMON CORE, CLICK HERE Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), each state set its own learning standards and developed tests to measure them. But NCLB’s failure to spur overall test score gains or close racial gaps led […]
Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 22 – 28, 2018
The new academic year has not even begun in many parts of the country, but the testing wars have started heating up. Assessment reformers are already posting victories in rolling back standardized exam misuse and overuse. Remember that you can sign up allies to receive these free weekly updates at:http://www.fairtest.org/weekly-news-signup. Archived issues are online at:http://www.fairtest.org/news […]
Droppout Numbers in Boston Public Schools 1996-2000
Droppout Numbers in Boston Public Schools 1996-2000 * Students who drop out of Boston’s middle grades make up an increasing proportion of all middle grades dropouts in Massachusetts. In 1995-96, one fifth (20.2%) of the state’s middle grades dropouts came from Boston. In 1999-2000, almost three fifths (58.2%) of the state’s middle grades dropouts came […]
Fighting for Assessment Reform under ESSA
The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the latest version of the long-standing Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It replaces the widely despised “No Child Left Behind.” The new law presents both opportunities and dangers for the testing resistance and reform movement. How can the movement use the opportunities, counter the risks, and win […]
FairTest critical comments on US Education Department's "Race to the Top Fund" guidelines.
TO AVOID SLIPPING BACKWARDS ON EDUCATION REFORM, DRAFT “RACE TO THE TOP” GUIDELINES MUST BE REVISED During his campaign for the Presidency, Barack Obama said, “We should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests.” Candidate Obama added that the nation needs to use “a broader […]
Failing Our Children Report Press Release 5-27-04
for further information:Dr. Monty Neill (857) 350-8207Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773 FairTest National Center for Fair & Open Testing for use after 12:01am, Thursday, May 27, 2004 Two-Year Report Card on Federal Education Reform:NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS “FAILING OUR CHILDREN”FALSE ASSUMPTIONS, ARBITRARY RULES HURT SCHOOL QUALITY, EQUITYNEW ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL PROPOSED TO IMPROVE CLASSROOMS The first […]
Fact Sheet: A Better Way to Evaluate Schools (PDF)
“A Better Way to Evaluate Schools” outlines a 3-part school evaluation system – school quality reviews, limited standardized testing, plus school-based and local evidence. Attachment Size better-ways-to-assess-fact-sheet.pdf 119.47 KB
Educators Give Low Marks to State Test
Status: Archived Subject: K-12 Testing A group of educators from across Massachusetts have formed a statewide coalition to address concerns with the new Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and to advocate for continued reform of the state assessment system. The first round of results on the statewide tests, given at grades 4, 8 and 10 […]
Education bill falls short
USA Today 12/11/2001 By Monty Neill Despite the high-sounding political slogan used to promote the scheme, the test-driven education package Congress is about to pass will leave many children behind. Requiring states to test every child in grades three to eight every year in reading and math — and use the results to penalize schools […]