Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 19 – 25, 2020

Election Season 2020 is well underway —November 3is just 10 weeks off! There is no better time for parents, educators and activists to get policymakers to pay attention to your assessment reform agenda. Polls show that educational issues are huge in this cycle. This is a great opportunity to press candidates to suspend federal and state standardized exam requirements during the upcoming school year as well as to support meaningful initiatives that will reduce testing misuse and overuse!

NationalEducation a Key Issue in 2020 Elections — Plurality Says “Too Much Testing”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/08/public-trump-education-record-2020-pdk-poll.html

National Democratic Party Platform Calls for Ending High-Stakes Exams
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/08/democrats-platform-tests-charters-pay-teachers.html

ArizonaEducators Seek Test Cancellation as Part of School Reopening Plan
https://www.abc15.com/news/getting-back-to-school/arizona-education-association-calls-for-ducey-to-implement-statewide-school-reopening-plan

ArkansasLetter: Scrap Standardized Tests to Promote More Learning
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/aug/24/letters/

District of ColumbiaTaking Tests After Classmates Were Shot; the Academic Impact of Violence
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/academic-impact-violence/2020/08/23/85f0868a-00af-11ea-9518-1e76abc088b6_story.html

GeorgiaTime to Put the Atlanta Test-Cheating Scandal to Rest
https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/opinion-time-to-put-atlanta-cheating-scandal-to-rest/PGPGHZH2KVFEXKWOXG47M5NMNE/

MassachusettsPandemic Fuels Debate Over Public School Standardized Testing
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200818/pandemic-refuels-debate-over-role-of-mcas-exam

MichiganEducators, Legislators Debate Worth of Standardized Tests During COVID
https://www.record-eagle.com/collections/educators-legislators-debate-worth-of-standardized-testing-during-covid/article_bf8777fc-d5a0-11ea-b9cd-4fb384b1da3f.html

MississippiStandardized Testing Still Slated for Coming School Year
https://www.northsidesun.com/news-breaking-news-schools/standardized-tests-still-slated-school-year

TennesseeBoard of Education Will Consider Testing Moratorium Resolution
https://www.crossville-chronicle.com/news/local_news/boe-to-discuss-critical-infrastructure-designation-thursday/article_ec355c1a-e630-11ea-9e63-17abbc8fc3e0.html

VirginiaSchool Board’s New Racial Equity Policy Covers Standardized Exams
https://www.arlnow.com/2020/08/24/school-board-adopts-first-ever-aps-equity-policy/

WashingtonState Education Super Calls on Biden-Harris for Commitment to Grant Testing Waivers
https://www.chrisreykdal.org/open-letter

University AdmissionsCounselors’ Report Strongly Criticizes ACT/SAT
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/08/18/nacac-issues-report-standardized-testing-admissions

University Admissions August SAT Cancelled for Nearly Half of Registrants with More Sites Closures to Come
https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2020/08/18/the-august-sat-is-cancelled-for-nearly-half-of-students/#4f12085e7972

University Admissions Stop Gatekeeping Exams for Graduate School
https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2020/08/grad-school-testing-0824

Worth ReadingShut Down of Public School and College Admissions Testing Is Unexpected Benefit of Pandemic
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/08/19/the-accidental-education-benefits-of-covid-19.html

Worth Reading How Bad Is New Gates-Funded Computerized Essay Scoring Tool
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/08/how-bad-is-this-gates-funded-essay.html

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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