Testing Resistance & Reform News: August 22 - 28, 2013

As classroom doors open for another year of politically mandated testing overkill, grassroots assessment reform advocacy is exploding around the nation. Along with escalating criticism of the Common Core Assessments, protest actions are already underway in many states. Please send FairTest stories about your local resistance campaigns so we can share them with activists and journalists across the country. And, remember that back issues of these weekly news updates are available online at: http://fairtest.org/news

Poll Shows Public Opposes Use of Test Scores in Teacher Reviews
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-education-poll-20130821,0,6719255.story

More Than a Number: Educators on What Standardized Testing Means
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=216110302&ft=1&f=1013

Note to Test Designers: Bad Questions Are Not the Same as Hard Questions
http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/schoolbook/2013/aug/22/did-pearson-go-college/

New Challenge to Common Core Tests and Standards From Progressives
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/24/3583858/for-common-core-a-new-challenge.html

Common Core Criticism Grows
http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/as-schools-implement-common-core-controversy-arises/article_d3ad2c56-4702-5469-85aa-0358a83b6708.html

Common Core Tests Widen Achievement Gap in NY
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/08/26/common-core-tests-widen-achievement-gap-in-new-york/

Common Core Testing Moratorium Needed
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23452922/common-core-california-should-get-three-year-breather
http://laschoolreport.com/ca-getting-smarter-with-new-tests-to-probe-critical-thinking/

• See FairTest Fact Sheet http://fairtest.org/common-core-assessments-more-tests-not-much-better

Education Advocacy Groups Unite to Form New York State Allies in Public Education, Plan Initial Testing Protest
http://rethinkingtestingmidhudson.blogspot.com/2013/08/education-advocacy-groups-from-across.html

Michigan Bill Would Require Lawmakers to Take Student Tests
http://www.freep.com/article/20130823/NEWS06/308230044/Michigan-legislators-proposed-Mandatory-Public-School-Test-Validation-Act

Pennsylvania School District Officials Blast Grad Test Proposal
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2013/08/27/news/doc521c8bfb90060491031899.txt

Rhode Island Suspends Test Use for Teacher Evaluation
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130825-r.i.-school-official-necap-results-wont-be-used-in-grading-teachers-this-year.ece
http://www.rifuture.org/affected-parent-recaps-ed-boards-necap-discussion.html

Tennessee Parents and Educators Question Test Overuse
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=286121

Texas Officials Seek Statewide Investigation of Test Cheating
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/08/26/03mct_txcheatingprobe.h33.html

Some Texas Districts Seeks to Move Beyond Multiple-Choice Tests
http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Smith-Cain-Legislative-changes-bring-4758529.php

Misleading the Public About the State of South Carolina Education
http://atthechalkface.com/2013/08/26/misleading-the-state-of-education-zais-plays-partisan-with-school-praise/

Fight Over Pre-School Testing in DC
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/in-dc-controversy-over-academic-testing-has-new-frontier-preschool/2013/08/24/1d958316-0bfa-11e3-9941-6711ed662e71_story.html

Schools Developing Art, Music, Gym Tests to Judge Teachers
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/08/24/schools-developing-art-gym-music-tests-to-judge-teachers.html

Data Drunk: Let's Take the Ass Out of Assessment
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-strauss/student-assessment_b_3804568.html

Why Education is Not Like Medicine
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/08/28/02nehring.h33.html

Let's Not Expect Everyone to Run a 4-Minute Mile
http://www.schoolleadership20.com/m/blogpost?id=1990010%3ABlogPost%3A169299