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March 27, 2012 The Equity and Excellence Commission: Dear Members of the Commission: The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) is concerned about the damage done to educational equity and excellence by the use of high-stakes testing. Among the widely documented problems are: That denial of a diploma based on a student’s test […]

Status: Archived Subject: K-12 Testing FairTest Examiner, March 2009 While economic stimulus funds will be a boon to cash-strapped schools across the nation, other provisions offer both danger and opportunity for assessment reform. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) requires states to use new federal funds to “enhance the quality” of their assessments. This […]

for further information:Dr. Monty Neill (857) 350-8207Bob Schaeffer (941) 395-6773 for immediate release, Sunday, May 20, 2001 A major newspaper expose demonstrating the U.S. school testing industry’s inability to competently design and administer the current level of required state exams should persuade Congress to drop a plan to greatly increase mandated testing now being debated […]

Happy Fourth of July! Be sure to celebrate the growing movement for independence from standardized testing misuse and overuse. Arizona Districts Can Drop State Test, Choose Other Standardized Examhttps://tucson.com/news/local/tusd-ditching-azmerit-test-for-high-school… Florida Inconsistent Treatment of End-of-Course Test Scoreshttp://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/2018/06/26/officials-seek-consis…Florida “Accountabaloney” as State Rates Schools with “B” Grades on “Low-Performing” Listhttp://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2017/07/10/floridas-low-performing-… Illinois District Protests False Test Data on School […]

There was no holiday in testing news during the past week — both new standardized exam misuse outrages and more assessment reform progress. Help your allies and friends fight back by encouraging them to sign up for these topical updates at: http://www.fairtest.org/weekly-news-signup Alabama Parents Fear Proposed Third Grade Reading Test Would Primarily Hold Back Disadvantaged […]

Policy elites in Washington, D.C. and many state capitals may have decreed that it will be business-as-usual for standardized exams this year, but hundreds of thousands of parents and educators are responding with a resounding “No way!” Across the country, opt-out numbers are soaring to unprecedented highs and courageous teachers are refusing to play the […]

In state after state, policymakers are responding to constituent concerns by re-evaluating testing mandates. The changes they initially consider are often cosmetic, such as substituting one mediocre exam for another. But escalating grassroots pressure — particularly opting out — is beginning to force legislators to focus on the real problems of standardized testing overuse and […]

With the spring 2020 public school testing season on the horizon, more parents, educators, and community organizers are considering opting out from standardized exams as a tactic to advance assessment reform. Be sure to check out FairTest’s resources on this topic: https://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out National Proposals to Broaden, Strengthen Fed’s Innovative Assessment Grants Program https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/innovative-assessment-pilots-support-equity-strive-broad-impact-groups-say/ Connecticut Increased […]

It’s spring testing season. In many states, the grassroots pushback against standardized exam misuse and overuse is gaining strength. Check out this week’s clips to see how legislatures, boards of education, and other policy-making bodies are responding to assessment reform movement power! New Advocacy Resource: Standard Testing and Students with Disabilitieshttps://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/standardized-testing-and-students-disabilitiesOther Recent Assessment Reform Tools […]

April is the peak month for test-obsessed classrooms in many parts of the country — simultaneously the opt-out movement and legislative assessment reform proposals are surging, as this week’s rich collection of news clips demonstrates. Note that 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for Mathematics and Reading are due to be released on […]