Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 1 – 7, 2018

Public school classrooms open their doors to students in parts of the South at the end of this week. No surprise, then, that coverage of testing plans (and protests) is escalating from mid-summer doldrums.

National The U.S. Needs to Get Smarter About Testing
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/07/31/we-all-need-to-get-smarter-about.html

Arizona Race, Family Income, and Zip Codes Strongest Predictor of Test Scores
https://tucson.com/news/local/race-income-based-achievement-gaps-remain-as-arizona-kids-make/article_7e055095-6ed2-5e47-aa4e-13ea9adb2145.html

California Negative Impacts From Publishing Teacher Test Scores
https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2018/08/05/eight-years-ago-the-l-a-times-published-teachers-ratings-new-research-tells-us-what-happened-next/

Delaware Parents Question Value, Effectiveness of State Tests
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2018/08/03/delaware-parents-question-value-effectiveness-state-test/889030002/

Florida Pre-K “Readiness” Test Faces Growing Scrutiny
http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180806/vpk-readiness-test-faces-growing-scrutiny

New Jersey What Will Replace PARCC?
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/18/08/01/whats-going-to-replace-parcc-its-complicated/

New York Superintendent Tells Teachers: Ignore State Test Results
https://nypost.com/2018/08/02/top-long-island-school-official-tells-teachers-to-ignore-state-test-scores/
New York Test Scores Are Not All They Are Cracked Up to Be
http://riverdalepress.com/stories/admissions-tests-arent-all-theyre-cracked-up-to-be,66379

North Carolina Hundreds of Teachers Are Failing Pearson’s Math Exams
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article215848065.html

Tennessee Big City Supers Seek Permanent State Testing Pause
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2018/08/06/declaring-no-confidence-in-tnready-memphis-and-nashville-superintendents-call-for-pause-in-state-testing/

Texas Parents Protest Against STAAR Test
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/parents-petition-against-staar-test/1346985283

Utah State to Study Why Kids, Families Opt Out of Tests
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900026865/why-do-utah-students-opt-out-of-state-testing-proposed-state-audit-to-seek-answers.html

Virginia Questionable Test-Score Inflation Hurt Students In Later Grades
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/carver-teachers-cheating-helped-students-pass-virginia-tests-then-they/article_3cc8effa-87a0-5238-afba-0822c9fba71f.html
Virginia School Staff Resign After Test Cheating Invesigation
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/carver-principal-and-others-resign-from-richmond-public-schools-after/article_f7ee4f6e-61d2-56f8-a019-3465f21017c8.html

University Admissions Ball State Indiana Public University Goes Test Optional
https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/education/2018/07/31/ball-state-university-says-sat-act-no-longer-needed-admission/870371002/
University Admissions Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State Drops ACT/SAT Requirements
https://www.plu.edu/marcom/news/2018/07/31/plu-goes-test-optional/
University Admissions Framingham State Joins Other Massachusetts Public Campuses with Test-Optional Policy
http://www.wbjournal.com/article/20180806/NEWS01/180809969/framingham-state-sat-optional-on-pilot-basis

International Japanese Medical School Rigged Test Results to Keep Women Out
http://www.theweek.co.uk/95576/tokyo-medical-school-lowered-women-s-test-scores

Worth Reading Strong Resistance to High-Stakes Testing Persists
https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2018/07/31/resistance-to-high-stakes-testing-persists-as-media-celebrates-its-end/
Worth Reading Preschool Testing for Toddlers: Don’t Steal the Joy of Reading
https://nancyebailey.com/2018/08/01/toddlers-preschool-testing-dont-steal-the-joy-of-reading/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education 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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