Testing Resistance and Reform News: January 24 – 30, 2013

From the Pacific Northwest to New England and from Chicago to Austin, the grassroots push back against high-stakes testing overkill is rapidly expanding across the nation. And, there’s even more evidence that school “reform” driven by standardized exam results is not supported by either academic research or real-world, classroom experience.

High-Stakes Testing and Opting Out — Recording of recent, oversubscribed Parents Across America webinar with FairTest’s Monty Neill, Garfield High teachers, and other leading activists
https://www.fuzemeeting.com/replay_meeting/fac6d598/3351443

Why I Support the Garfield Teachers Boycott — by one of the school’s students
http://crosscut.com/2013/01/29/op-ed/112710/garfield-student-why-im-protesting-map-test/
NEA Supports Seattle Teachers Protesting Standardized Exam — The AFT issued a similar statement last week
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/District_Dossier/2013/01/nea_supports_seattle_teachers_.html

Portland Students Organize Standardized Test Boycott
http://portlandstudentunion.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/pps-portland-student-unions-urge-students-to-boycott-standardized-testing/

Providence Students Protest High-Stakes Exam
http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2013/01/providence-students-to-stage-protest-wednesday-against-high-stakes-testing.html

Newtown Conn. Schools Seeks Testing Waiver Due to Student Trauma — How Will Arne Duncan and the “No Excuses” Gang Respond?
http://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Newtown-school-board-wants-CMT-waiver-4221587.php

Chicago Teachers Union Launches Anti-High-Stakes-Testing Campaign; Endorses Seattle Teachers Boycott
http://www.ctunet.com/blog/chicago-teachers-union-launches-campaign-against-high-stakes-standardized-testing-supports-seattle-teachers-boycott

A New Way of Testing — FairTest Helps Chicago Assessment Reform Activists
http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=3925&section=Article

“More Than a Score” — Chicago Parents Campaign
http://morethanascorechicago.org/

Texas Senators Grill Schools Chief Who Admits State Gave 8 Million Tests Last Year
http://www.texastribune.org/2013/01/23/senators-question-tea-chief-testing-school-funding/

Texas Moms Are Fed Up with High-Stakes Testing
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/01/24/4573566/texas-moms-are-fed-up-with-staar.html

Texas in Retreat From High-Stakes Testing
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Texas-in-retreat-from-high-stakes-testing-4224260.php

Pearson Seeks $12/hour Test Scorers Via CraigsList — No Accountability for Test-Makers
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/20662399/craigslist-ad-solicits-staar-test-graders

High-Stakes Testing Hurts Learning Disabled Students — fine letter-to-the-editor example
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130124/OPINION/130129661/1074

New Reasons to Dislike Multiple-Choice Testing
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reasons-to-dislike-multi-choice-terrell-heick

Testing Fixation Squeezes Out Learning Time — a view from rural New Mexico
http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-opinion/ci_22435477/testing-1-2-3

Value-Added Testing Policies Adopted Before Research Documents Flaws
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/01/john_thompson_the_gates_founda.html

If you find these news updates and the other support FairTest provides for the assessment reform movement helpful, please consider making a contribution to support our work by clicking on the red “Donate” button at the top of every page on our website, http://www.fairtest.org

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