Testing Resistance & Reform News: April 19 -25, 2017

National Long Judged Only By Test Scores, Schools May Be Rated on Other Factors
https://www.washingtonpost.com/long-rated-by-test-scores-schools-may-soon-be-judged-on-student-abenteeism-too/2017/04/18/c5d85922-2082-11e7-be2a-3a1fb24d4671_story.html

California Massive Power Failure Disrupts School Testing
http://www.sfexaminer.com/massive-power-outage-impacts-sf-schools-state-testing/

Delaware Education Students Stressed by Cost of Required Exams
http://udreview.com/19078-2/

Florida Time to Advance Testing Reform Legislation
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/fl-editorial-florida-standardized-testing-20170424-story.html
Florida Legislators to Negotiate Scope of Assessment Changes
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article146382859.html
Florida Using NAEP "Proficiency" for Accountability Would Set Children Up for Failure
https://truthinamericaneducation.com/education-at-state-level/using-naep-proficiency-accountability-sets-florida-students-up-for-failure/

Georgia Statewide Internet Outage Disrupts Testing
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/statewide-internet-outage-disrupts-delays-georgia-milestones-tests/U48hiQ9SviZ1rvFBw1cJxK/
Georgia Students Opt Out of Milestone Exams
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/seventy-five-gwinnett-county-students-opt-out-georgia-milestones/h6lgTMwTvRs6BG5298JysM/

Illinois Students, Parents Rally for Teacher Facing Firing for Encouraging Opt Outs
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170419/little-village/sarah-chambers-special-education-saucedo-scholastic-academy

Indiana Bill to Replace Controversial ISTEP Exam Sent to Governor
http://wmot.org/post/legislation-end-istep-sent-governor#stream/0
Indiana New Test Will Be No Better Than Previous Ones
https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/jaspers-hitchcock-says-ilearn-misses-the-mark

Kansas Renewal of State Assessment Contract Tabled After Widespread Computer Testing Problems
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2017-04-19/renewal-of-student-testing-contract-tabled-after-problems

Louisiana State Ponders New Ways to Evaluate Public Schools
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_4dabcfbe-28f8-11e7-af23-bfc186fac2df.html

Maryland Educator Action Spurs Passage of Assessment Reforms in ESSA Implementation Law
http://www.aft.org/news/union-action-promotes-strong-essa-tied-laws-maryland

Michigan Bill Would Allow Districts to Opt Out of Standardized Tests
https://michiganpeninsulanews.com/news/3906-rep-reilly-introduces-bill-allow-schools-opt-standardized-tests/

New Jersey State Senate Leaders Say Use of PARCC as Grad Requirement Violates Legislative Intent
http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/04/21/sweeney-ruiz-say-use-of-parcc-as-exit-exam-violates-legislative-intent-111447
New Jersey How Grassroots Pressure Made a Difference in Testing Policy
http://mothercrusader.blogspot.com/2017/04/yesterday-i-went-on-road-trip-with-my.html
New Jersey PARCC Refusals and Districts That Do the Right Thing
http://elfasd.blogspot.com/2017/04/parcc-refusals-and-doing-right-thing.html

North Dakota Governor Signs Test Opt-Out Bill Into Law
http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/65-2017/documents/17-0879-06000.pdf

Ohio Cut the School Testing Budget
http://www.athensmessenger.com/blogs/guest_columnists/cut-the-education-budget-for-testing/article_c2a3b5a8-134d-5f39-a3ae-2ffab1012142.html

Pennsylvania Parent Group Encourages Test Opt Outs
http://www.berksmontnews.com/general-news/20170418/kutztown-parents-opt-out-group-encourages-opting-out-of-pssas-keystones
Pennsylvania Testing Obsession Extends to Tee-Shirts
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/K-12_Contrarian/2017/04/the_testing_obsessions_are_getting_a_little_weird.html

South Carolina The Spring Testing Obsession
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/james-kirylo-that-time-of-year-spring-and-testing/

Tennessee County Leaders Take on Testing Madness
http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/columnists/david-waters/2017/04/25/david-waters-county-leaders-take-testing-madness/100838318/

Texas Author Explains Bill to Force Transparency About Testing Costs
https://dianeravitch.net/2017/04/19/author-of-texas-bill-to-promote-transparency-in-true-costs-of-testing-speaks-out/
Texas Senate to Take Up Bill Easing Graduation Exam Requirement
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/bill-that-permanently-eases-staar-requirements-moves-senate/IbeBCOBDtn25mdtYWAgU5H/
Texas Testing Resistance Creates Space for New Ethnic Studies Course Led by FairTest Board Member
http://texasedequity.blogspot.com/2017/04/these-ethnic-studies-courses-are-great.html

Utah Let Teachers Teach
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/5191516-155/letter-let-the-teachers-teach

Virginia Overcoming the Folly of High-Stakes Testing
http://www.heraldcourier.com/news/overcoming-the-folly-of-high-stakes-testing/article_6cd57863-1c10-535a-8aca-a993c159a0a0.html

Wisconsin ESSA Compliance Plan Drafting Under Intense Scrutiny
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/wisconsin-prepares-education-plan-under-lawsuit-threat/article_2830f25a-3afc-5585-a3fa-37f8383a364e.html

International We Can't Allow Australian Schools to Become Testing Factories
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/we-cant-allow-schools-to-become-testing-factories/news-story/98c00a07fa2414117e9b2e1b976a2b38

Worth Reading Why Families Should Opt Out of Standardized Testing
https://dianeravitch.net/2017/04/24/why-students-should-opt-out-of-state-testing/ 
Worth Reading 34 Problems With Standardized Exams
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/04/19/34-problems-with-standardized-tests/
Worth Reading What Do Teachers Quit?  Testing Overkill  Is Major Reason
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2017/04/why_do_teachers_quit_their_res.html