Testing Resistance and Reform News: March 14 – 20, 2013

In less than a week, there’s news of progress in the movement to resist high-stakes testing overkill from Rhode Island, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, New York, Florida, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, those who profit from promoting standardized exams — financially and politically — stubbornly try to “stay the course” no matter how much damage to education quality and equity their policies produce.

Keep escalating the pressure (and send us clips about your actions for national circulation) !

60% of Adults Who Took RI Grad Test Failed
http://www.ripr.org/post/most-adults-fail-mock-necap-test

Honor Roll Student Criticizes State Graduation Test
http://www.golocalprov.com/news/honor-roll-student-criticizes-testing-policy-after-failing-necaps/

Seattle Teacher Challenges Michelle Rhee
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/15

Denver Students Walk-Out on Standardized Tests; Rally at State Capitol
http://www.examiner.com/article/students-walk-out-on-standarized-testing

Colorado Testing Madness Pushes Students Out of Public Schools
http://www.ednewscolorado.org/voices/voices-tcap-madness

Portland, Oregon Students Walkout to Protest Standardized Exams
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/03/grant_high_students_protest_st.html

Anti-Testing Protests Pressure Texas Legislature
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/article/State-s-lawmakers-are-tested-by-issue-of-testing-4360723.php

Public Forums on Testing Put NY State Ed. Commissioner on the Spot
http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2013/03/16/news/doc5143d58b54fbf486078496.txt

School Board Blasts Testing Overkill
http://m.registerstar.com/mobile/the_daily_mail/news/article_fb80b506-8b99-11e2-8e0d-0019bb2963f4.html

Why (and How) Parents Should Refuse to Have Their Children Take Standardized Tests
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013130319007&gcheck=1

Florida Bill Requiring School Districts to Publish Testing Schedules Moves Forward
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2013/03/14/bill-requiring-school-districts-to-post-testing-schedule-moves-forward/

Minnesota Legislature Considers Bill Eliminating Graduation Test Requirement
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_22784557/minnesota-legislature-considers-replacing-graduation-tests

Overhaul NCLB Now !
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/288145-overhaul-no-child-left-behind-now

Pearson Rakes in the Profits
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-singer/pearson-education-profits_b_2902642.html

Common Core Tests Called Excessive
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20130316_19_A1_Oklaho507655

Common Core Testing Requires Computers Schools Cannot Afford
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130318/NEWS/303180181/EXCLUSIVE-Testing-requires-computers-schools-can-t-afford

Where Are Progressives in the Fight to Save Public Schools
http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/where-are-progressives-in-the-fight-to-save-public-schools/

Teacher Evaluation Funding Follies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-bloomfield/teacher-evaluation-fundin_b_2853471.html

Framing a New Narrative About Education
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/03/15/a-new-education-story/

U.S. Style School “Reform” Exported to Mexico
http://www.thenation.com/article/173308/us-style-school-reform-goes-south

What’s Still Missing in U.S. Education and How to Really Out-Educate China (satire warning!)
http://zhaolearning.com/2012/05/10/what%E2%80%99s-still-missing-in-american-education-and-how-to-out-educate-china/

If you find these updates helpful, please help support FairTest’s work to assist the high-stakes testing resistance around the country by making a contribution at:
http://tinyurl.com/SupportFairTest

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