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