Testing Resistance & Reform News: February 7 – 13, 2018

The 2018 school testing season is already on the horizon. That means more local organizing against standardized exam overkill leading to heightened attention by policy-makers to assessment reform. As always, the more grassroots pressure, the better the prospects for meaningful change.

NationalESSA Plans Show Uneven Progress Toward Better Assessment and Accountability


https://fairtest.orgdata.com.org/STATE-ESSA-PLANS-REPORT-2018

National Are States Really Trying to Overcome the Harmful Legacy of “No Child Left Behind”?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/02/12/are-states-really-trying-to-overcome-the-harmful-legacy-of-no-child-left-behind/

CaliforniaDistricts Seek to Develop More Effective School Accountability Plans
https://edsource.org/2018/3-districts-and-partners-pursue-ambitious-goal-designing-a-better-lcap/593458

ColoradoBill Would Bar Schools From Offering Incentives for Test-Taking
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2018/02/08/no-pizza-parties-no-raffle-tickets-bill-would-bar-colorado-schools-from-offering-rewards-to-test-takers/

District of ColumbiaGraduation Scandal Demonstrates Test-and-Punish Fraud
https://themerrowreport.com/2018/02/12/graduation-rates-school-reform-fraud/

FloridaDistrict Admin Staff Sent to Low-Scoring Schools to Support Test Prep
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/2018/02/05/hillsborough-initiative-aims-to-give-schools-all-hands-during-testing-season/

IllinoisState Board Plans to Revamp PARCC Test
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-no-more-parcc-20180207-story.html

Illinois District Returns to Pencil & Paper PARCC to End Computer Exam Disruptions
http://hfchronicle.com/article/2018/feb/06/back-paper-and-pencil-district-153-parcc-test-takers

IndianaTest-Based Grade Promotion Is Simple but Wrong
http://www.kokomotribune.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-reading-test-only-a-piece/article_4f8dc19c-0d14-11e8-b25a-270db293165c.html

MarylandTeacher Leaders Wants to Rid State of PARCC Test
http://www.wbal.com/article/293251/3/public-school-teacher-wants-to-rid-maryland-of-parcc

MassachusettsState School Rankings Virtually Worthless
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/state-school-rankings-virtually-worthless/

Massachusetts Less Testing, More Learning Blog — How Test Misuse Hurts Students
https://lesstestingmorelearning.tumblr.com/

MichiganDon’t Grade Schools on Student Test Scores
http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/novi/2018/02/08/states-parent-dashboard-provides-key-school-information/306398002/

MississippiLegislators React to Failed Exit Exam Repeal
http://starkvilledailynews.com/content/local-lawmakers-weigh-failed-exit-exam-bill

MissouriGrowing Discontent About Testing Among School Superintendents
http://kbia.org/post/growing-discontent-state-testing-among-school-superintendents

New JerseyPoll Shows Parents Believe Testing Has Gone Overboard
http://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/state-of-the-garden-state-education-2018/

OhioComputer Scoring of Essays Doesn’t Compute
http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180210/robo-scoring-of-essays-does-not-compute-some-educators-say

OregonBetter Uses for Time Lost to Excessive Testing
http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/36420444-78/better-uses-for-time-lost-to-excessive-testing.html.csp#

PennsylvaniaState ESSA Plan Moves in Right Direction
http://thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/wolf-plan-gets-it-right-1.2298915

Rhode IslandHow to Close Learning Gaps
http://www.heraldnews.com/opinion/20180206/letter-to-editor-to-close-education-gap-offer-more-education-time

International“No” to More Tests
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/no-more-tests-we-have-created-a-world-which-every-formal-examination

Worth ReadingTesting Is the Problem, Not the Solution
https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/testing-the-problem-not-the-solution/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office-(239) 395-6773 fax-(239) 395-6779
mobile-(239) 699-0468
web-http://www.fairtest.org

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