Testing Resistance and Reform News: April 11 – 17, 2013

After reading this week’s clips, even last-ditch defenders of the test-and-punish regime will have to admit that a huge wave of protests against standardized exam misuse and overuse is sweeping the nation. On Capitol Hill in DC, where I’ve been much of this week, the message is definitely being heard, “Enough is enough — roll back high-states testing!”
One measure of the rapid growth of this movement: since March 1,seven timesas many visitors have checked out FairTest’s web resources on opting out and related tactics (http://www.fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out) as in the same period last year.
Florida School District Allows Students to Opt-Out of Some Tests
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-education/district-allowing-middle-school-math-students-to-o/nXJPB/

Chicagoans Fight for Education and Against Standardized Testing
http://truth-out.org/news/item/15660-chicagoans-fight-for-education-and-against-standardized-testing

High-Stakes Testing Needs Scrutiny, Says Georgia State Super, Other Experts
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/high-stakes-testing-needs-scrutiny-barge-and-other/nXHCp/

Michelle’s Reign of Error — Her DC Test-Cheating Coverup
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/?pb32

N.Y. District Tells State: Butt Out, Stop Over-Testing Our Children
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S2992548.shtml?cat00
Our Students Are Tested Too Much, Long Island School Officials Say
http://portjefferson.patch.com/articles/our-kids-are-tested-too-much-comsewogue-school-officials-says
Common Core Testing Not Ready for Prime Time
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/16/common-core-testing-begins-in-ny-but-are-exams-ready-for-prime-time/

California Democratic Party Blasts Corporate School “Reform”
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-democrats-20130415,0,2919125.story?track=rss

Some Louisiana Students Face More Than 20 Standardized Tests Each Year http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20130413/NEWS01/304130024/Testing-system

Florida Teachers Sue To Block Law That Would Evaluate Them Based on Scores From Students They Do Not Teach
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/teachers-in-florida-sue-state-claiming-job-evaluation-system-is-unfair/2013/04/16/32fbb400-a6c4-11e2-8302-3c7e0ea97057_story.html

Eighth Grader Designs Standardized Test That Slams Standardized Tests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/04/17/eighth-grader-designs-standardized-test-that-slams-standardized-tests/

Bush, Obama Focus on Standardized Testing Leads to Opt Out Movement
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/bush-obama-focus-on-standardized-testing-leads-to-opt-out-parent-movement/2013/04/14/90b15a44-9d5c-11e2-a941-a19bce7af755_story.html

Standardized Testing Creates Toxic Environment in Schools Professor Says
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130416102122.htm

Lessons From Atlanta
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID 13304100031&gcheck=1

Implications of Bill Gates’ Warning on Test Score Overuse
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gates-testing-teacher-evaluations-20130411,0,7561671.story

Why Excessive Standardized Testing is Causing American Schools to Fail
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/04/11/why-excessive-standardized-testing-is-causing-american-schools-to-fail

Test-and-Punish Sabotages Quality of Children’s Education — Linda Darling-Hammond talks about FairTest’s recent cheating survey (https://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/2013-Cheating-Report-PressRelease)
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/04/10/test-and-punish-sabotages-quality-of-childrens-education/

What’s Been Lost in the Bubbles — FairTest Board member Linda Nathan’s Speech to Occupy DOE
http://lindanathan.com/

Forget Test Prep, Students Need to Learn “Grit”
http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-10/news/38437392_1_standardized-tests-marjorie-neff-paul-tough

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