Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 16-22, 2017

Hundreds of thousands of parents, students, educators and community leaders across the U.S. play important roles in the growing assessment reform movement. This fall, FairTest will celebrate two national leaders in the struggle against high-stakes testing and for educational justice: Schott Foundation President John H. Jackson and Mass. Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni. You can help honor Barbara, John and the grassroots activists they work with by supporting our “Heroes in Education” event —https://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/fairtest-to-honor-jackson-and-madeloni

FloridaSchool Board Member Considers State Accountability System a “Fraud”
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/gradebook-podcast-polk-county-school-board-member-billy-townsend-on/2333978

GeorgiaMultiple Choice Tests Are Unfair and Inaccurate
http://ksusentinel.com/2017/08/21/opinion-multiple-choice-tests-are-unfair-and-inaccurate/

IndianaState Test Not Worth the Costs
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20170818/for-various-reasons-istep-not-worth-cost

IowaPolitical Competition for New Statewide Testing Contract
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2017/08/18/university-iowa-not-among-vendors-pursuing-state-exam-contract/576522001/

MississippiMore Changes to School Rating System to Fix Flaws of Previous Revisions
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2017-08-15/mississippi-again-moves-to-rejigger-school-rating-system

Missouri“Skinny” ESSA Plan Does Not Anticipate Additional School Interventions
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-approves-skinny-plan-to-improve-worst-performing-public-schools/article_adc7d15a-47a2-5419-80e9-93bec4cdc921.html

New HampshirePerformance Assessment Pilot Program Gaining Ground
http://www.concordmonitor.com/Going-into-its-fourth-year-how-s-NH-s-testing-experiment-going-11909004

New MexicoSchool Pays Students for High PARCC Test Scores
http://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/bloomfield/2017/08/21/students-reap-financial-reward-good-parcc-score/582002001/

New YorkDistricts Question Fairness of Score-Based School Intervention List
http://www.uticaod.com/news/20170816/local-school-districts-work-to-get-off-state-list

PennsylvaniaWhy the Governor’s Testing Cuts Are “Baby Steps”
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2017/08/pa-baby-steps-on-testing.html

South CarolinaTest-Based Grade Retention Will Hurt Struggling Students
https://greenvillejournal.com/2017/08/16/read-succeed-poised-fail-students/

TexasStandardized Testing Is Killing Education
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2017/aug/19/standardized-testing-is-killing-education/

VirginiaWhen Educators “Game” Tests, Students Lose
https://pilotonline.com/news/local/columnist/kerry-dougherty/when-norfolk-educators-game-their-sol-tests-students-are-the/article_21de0e73-b4f8-5686-a865-77c889fcd21e.html

West VirginiaInitial Proposals for New Test All Rejected as “Haphazard”
http://wvmetronews.com/2017/08/20/education-officials-review-second-round-of-statewide-test-proposals/

InternationalLimitations of Standardized Tests for Students in India
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/89YDYautCR4iyHTusnd3MN/Limitations-of-standardized-tests.html

University AdmissionsWhy Niagara University Adopted an ACT/SAT Optional Policy
http://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/nu-announces-new-test-optional-admissions-policy/article_99073ae8-63c1-50b1-bf50-2a66543c2c88.html

University Admissions Re-examining Our Approach to College Access
http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/reexamining-our-approach-to-college-access/

Worth ReadingAddicted to Reform: A 12-Step Program to Rescue Public Education, a new book by John Merrow
http://thenewpress.com/books/addicted-reform

web-http://www.fairtest.org

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