Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 6 – 12, 2019

With Spring testing season on the horizon, parents and educators are mobilizing increasing pressure on policy makers to implement meaningful assessment reforms. Let FairTest know how we can help support your local campaigns.

Connecticut Principal Accused of Test-Tampering Will Lose Teaching Certificate
https://www.rep-am.com/local/news-local/2019/02/06/former-hopeville-principal-to-be-stripped-of-teaching-certificate/

Florida New Governor Vows to Investigate Teacher Licensing Test
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/fl-governor-vows-to-look-into-teacher-certification-issues-and-fix-testing-for-test-sake
Florida Will the State Really Abolish “Common Core” Exams
https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2019/02/06/will-florida-abolish-the-common-core-spoiler-alert-probably-not/#470adcac752c

Illinois State Tests Revert to Zombie PARCC
https://www.ilraiseyourhand.org/this_week_in_ed_2_8_19

Indiana New Plan Could Drop Test Scores From State’s School Grading Formula
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2019/02/06/a-new-plan-could-drop-test-scores-and-graduation-rates-from-indiana-high-school-grades/

Louisiana Reviewing Reasons to Opt-Out From State Tests
http://educatelouisiana.org/2019/02/09/opt-out-review/

Massachusetts Let Teachers Teach Instead of Test
https://www.gazettenet.com/Teacher-letter-23308503

Michigan Third Grade Test Retention Law Has Many Negative Consequences
https://teacherinastrangeland.blog/2019/02/08/third-grade-flunk-laws-and-their-unintended-consequences/

New Jersey Legislators Question Teacher Licensing Tests as Barrier to Diverse Access
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/new-brunswick/articles/joint-senate-education-committees-hear-about-barriers-to-teacher-diversity-2

New Mexico State Administration Takes Aim at Pearson Test-Related Products
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/2/7/1833031/-New-Mexico-Declares-War-on-Pearson-Mis-Education?_=2019-02-07T09:07:00.490-08:00

New York Teacher Evaluation Reforms Still Give Too Much Power to Standardized Tests
https://citylimits.org/2019/02/06/cityviews-albanys-teacher-evaluation-reform-still-gives-too-much-power-to-tainted-tests/

North Carolina State Science and Social Studies Exams May be Eliminated
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article225610480.html

Tennessee Options for Problematic State Test Under Discussion
https://www.oakridger.com/news/20190207/option-for-problematic-student-test-discussed
Tennessee How “Race to the Top” Became an Attack on Public Schools
https://racetothebottom.us/race.html

Utah Legislature Explores Use of Testing “Incentives” to Curb Growing Opt-Out Rate
https://www.parkrecord.com/news/education/legislature-explores-possibility-of-incentivizing-standardized-tests/

Washington End High-Stakes Testing in Schools
https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/feb/08/letter-end-high-stakes-testing-in-schools/#.XF3WbQnJbaw.facebook

University Admissions Top-Ranked Midwest Regional University Drops ACT/SAT Requirements
https://www.omaha.com/news/education/higher-education/creighton-will-stop-requiring-standardized-test-scores-from-most-applicants/article_b157a143-5d3c-5428-b0c1-4df005027f2c.html
University Admissions California Community Colleges Will No Longer Rely on Placement Tests
https://www.arcurrent.com/news/2019/02/06/assembly-bill-eliminates-standardized-english-and-math-placement-tests-at-arc/

Worth Reading Portfolio Assessments More Likely to Measure What Really Matters
https://www.educationdive.com/news/portfolios-boost-assessment-relevancy-for-truly-transformative-learning/548118/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education 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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