Testing Resistance & Reform News: April 15 – 21, 2020

With this Spring’s federal and state testing mandates suspended, now is the time for local activists, educators and community leaders to begin developing campaigns to roll back standardized exam requirements for the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. Already, many colleges and universities have announced that they will implement ACT/SAT-optional policies for fall 2021 applicants and, often, future classes. K-12 policymakers should be pressured to follow suit.

National New Report: State Standardized Tests Were In Peril Before the Coronavirus; Now They’re Really in Trouble
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/covid19faq.asp
National Time to Begin Planning Now to Cancel Standardized Exams for 2020-2021 School Year
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/states-need-to-plan-now-to-forego-standardized-testing-in-2020-21/

Arizona Health Is More Important Than Test Scores
https://www.paysonroundup.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/a-wise-decision/article_17aee456-4e9c-52ce-9ec4-5d2b1e615d7e.html

California Complicated Impacts of COVID-19 on School “Accountability”
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/covid19faq.asp

Florida No One Wants to Go Back to the Testing Status Quo
https://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2020/04/18/no-one-wants-to-go-back-to-the-status-quo/

Kentucky Legislature Passes Bill to Replace New School Grading System with “Dashboard”
https://wfpl.org/ky-may-scrap-brand-new-5-star-school-rating-system/

Massachusetts State’s School Ranking System Is Designed to Give Low Scores to Big Cities
https://schoolyardnews.com/one-reason-boston-gets-low-ratings-from-the-state-the-system-is-designed-to-give-bad-marks-to-f6c9ee3418d

Montana Regents Waive Requirement for High School Students to Take ACT or SAT for State University System Admission
https://www.montana.edu/news/19857/regents-make-standardized-test-scores-optional-temporarily-for-mus-admittance

New Jersey Teacher Evaluation Changes with No Student Exam Scores
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/just-the-faqs-what-the-state-doe-is-telling-schools-about-covid-19/article_d2d09542-3718-525d-9107-13d0297627ea.html

Tennessee State Adjusts Graduation Requirements, Including Testing
https://www.cheathamcountyexchange.com/news/state-adjusts-high-school-graduation-requirements/article_4d76e23e-7f00-11ea-8d41-dbab4faf5ca7.html

Texas No A-to-F School Grades This Year Due to Testing Suspension
https://therivardreport.com/data-deficit-no-a-f-grades-for-districts-or-staar-exams-for-students/

Virginia School Testing Could Resume This Fall
https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2020/04/15/virginia-sol-testing-could-be-possible-in-the-fall/

Washington Policy Makers Should Recognize that Standardized Testing Is Not Beneficial
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/herald-homework-standardized-testing-isnt-beneficial/

University Admission Many Colleges Dropping ACT/SAT Requirements for Fall 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/14/us/coronavirus-colleges-sat-act-test-trnd/index.html
University Admission FairTest Chronology of Schools Adopting Test-Optional Policies
http://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Optional-Growth-Chronology.pdf
University Admissions Concerns About At-Home Computerized Testing
https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2020/04/16/talk-of-at-home-sat-act-tests-worries-critics/

Worth Reading Educational “Accountability” Is Out of Step with What We Really Value
https://kappanonline.org/educational-accountability-is-out-of-step-now-more-than-ever/
Worth Reading COVID-19 and the Future of Standardized Testing
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/04/10/covid-19-and-standardized-tests/

Bob Schaeffer, interim Executive Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org

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