Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 10 – 16, 2016

Lots of stories this week demonstrating the impact of opting out and other effective protests against standardized exam overkill. Please continue to support the testing resistance and reform movement through your own grassroots work and by making a contribution to FairTest at:

https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fairtest

Colorado Standardized Exam Driven Schools Test a Parent’s Patience
http://www.summitdaily.com/news/20569091-113/brown-wolf-standardized-schools-test-a-parents-patience-column

Connecticut Governor Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools with Poor Children If Parents Opt Them Out of Tests
http://jonathanpelto.com/2016/02/10/look-out-if-parents-opt-their-children-out-the-malloy-administration-will-cut-funding-for-poor-children/

Connecticut Teachers and Administrators Seek Evaluation Reform
http://www.nhregister.com/opinion/20160211/forum-teachers-and-administrators-call-for-evaluation-reform

Florida Why Opting Out Is Necessary to Roll Back Testing Overkill
http://www.theledger.com/article/20160212/COLUMNISTS03/160219889/-1/news98?p=1&tc=pg

Florida Parents Push Local Opt-Out Movement
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/02/13/parents-push-local-opt-out-movement/80250798/

Georgia Lawmakers Take Aim at Role of Tests in Teacher Evaluation
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/georgia-lawmakers-take-aim-at-tests-in-teacher-eva/nqMTY/

Illinois More Evidence That PARCC Exam Results Are Bogus
http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2016/02/more-evidence-that-parcc-test-is-bogus.html

Illinois State Wastes Money on Redundant, Mandatory SAT
http://www.bnd.com/opinion/editorials/article60479641.html

Illinois Parent Pens Sarcastic Letter About Test-Driven Education
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/02/11/cps-dad-pens-sarcastic-letter/

Indiana Local Schools Still Wary About New Online Test
http://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/education/2016/02/09/local-schools-wary-new-online-istep/80015686/

Indiana Test-Reliant System Rewards Memorization, Not Learning
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/Effective-education-It-s-anyone-s-guess-11402645

Kansas Time to Opt Out
http://www.hdnews.net/opinion/columns/time-to-opt-out/article_f913bef9-cd90-50df-8d1f-dee70c19ac18.html

Louisiana Test Scores Plunged After Cheating Probe at Charter School
http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2016/02/landry-walker_cheating_investi.html#comments

Maryland Educators Push Limit on Time Devoted to Testing
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/limits-proposed-on-standardized-school-testing-2-of-class-time/2016/02/12

New Jersey Parents, Educators Draw Line in the Sand Against PARCC as Graduation Test
http://www.nj.com/education/2016/02/parents_teachers_pan_parcc_as_graduation_requireme.html

New Mexico Test-Based State Education Budget Must End
http://nmpoliticalreport.com/31285/the-test-based-focus-of-house-bill-2-the-budget-bill-must-be-ended-nmleg/

New Mexico Strong Support for Bill to Cut Back Testing Time
http://krqe.com/2016/02/10/broad-support-for-bill-to-cut-testing-time-for-freshmen-sophomores/

Ohio School Report Cards Have Two Grades, Reflecting Opt-Out Impact
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/02/testing_opt-out_movement_forces_two_separate_grades_on_state_report_cards.html

Rhode Island Computer and Pencil-Paper Tests Yield Differing Results
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20160210/NEWS/160219893/?Start=1

Tennessee State Freezes Testing Contract Due to Online Exam Collapse
http://tn.chalkbeat.org/2016/02/09/tennessee-freezes-testing-contract-as-online-glitches-derail-tnready-debut/#.VrpnsOZQcrU

Tennessee Legislators Seek Three-Year Testing Moratorium After Statewide SNAFU
http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2016/02/09/democrats-decry-tnready-snafu-demand-pause-in-testing-evaluations

Tennessee Teachers Should Not Take Fall for State Test Crash
http://www.dnj.com/story/opinion/2016/02/10/our-view-teachers-shouldnt-take-fall-crashed-test/80051104/

Texas What Are We Testing For?
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/what-should-replace-the-staar-test/nqM4c/

Virginia Legislation Aims to Curb Testing Culture in Public Schools
http://pilotonline.com/news/local/education/general-assembly-bill-looks-to-help-curb-testing-culture-in/article_87a4899a-9293-5a39-a469-b768259f51b4.html

Wisconsin Standardized Tests Don’t Accurately Depict Student Knowledge
http://journaltimes.com/news/opinion/mailbag/franitza-standardized-tests-don-t-depict-students-knowledge/article_90e023b1-1482-59a9-b1ed-d92ca3de7b7b.html

ACT/SAT Flaws in the New SAT
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/opinion/flaws-in-the-new-sat.html

ACT/SAT University of Delaware Becomes Test-Optional for In-State Applicants
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2016/02/12/sat-become-optional-ud/80187414/

ACT/SAT New Mills College Admissions Testing Policy Aims to Diversity Student Body
http://www.thecampanil.com/new-test-optional-admissions-policy-aims-to-diversify-student-body/

Intelligence Expert Defines the Real Problem With School Tests
http://bigthink.com/videos/howard-gardner-on-standardized-testing

What PISA International Test Score Comparisons Can’t Tell Us
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/02/10/what-pisa-cant-teach-us.html

New Book Argues Standards, Grades and Tests Are Wildly Outdated
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/feb/16/standards-grades-and-tests-are-wildly-outdated/

Schools on Trial: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational Malpractice new book by FairTest Board Member Nikhil Goyal
http://www.amazon.com/Schools-Trial-Creativity-Educational-Malpractice/dp/0385540124/