Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 16-22, 2019

Assessment reform proposals are a high priority in many state capitals as legislative sessions get underway. Proposed bills call for cutting the number of tests, reducing high-stakes misuses, and stopping the practice of awarding school grades based on test results. Several new governors and superintendents of education are also taking the lead in rolling back standardized exam overkill.

National Is It Time to Kill Annual Testing Requirement?
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/01/09/is-it-time-to-kill-annual-testing.html

Florida Test-Driven Schooling Is One Cause of Massive Teacher Shortage
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ne-florida-teacher-shortage-midyear-20190116-story.html

Georgia New Governor Calls Out “Too Many Tests”
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/news/local/kemp-talks-standardized-testing-and-school-calendars/article_b327fa04-1b89-11e9-9d37-8b62b5651540.html

Indiana Educators Licenses Suspended After Test Cheating Investigation
https://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/seven-teacher-licenses-suspended-amid-states-largest-istep-cheating-case

Louisiana Why State’s School Grades Are Inaccurate and Misleading
http://www.kplctv.com/2019/01/22/special-report-inside-cpsb-schools-why-letter-grade-is-inaccurate/

Maine Advanced Placement Test Fees Leave Low-Income Students Behind
https://www.pressherald.com/2019/01/20/maine-voices-test-fee-leaves-high-achieving-low-income-students-behind/

Michigan Six School Rating Systems in Seven Years Failed to Improve Education
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/six-systems-7-years-and-michigan-students-still-lag-now-comes-f

Mississippi Educators Press Legislators to Overhaul State Testing Requirements
https://www.wjtv.com/news/local-news/lawmakers-hope-to-change-mississippi-s-testing-standards/1714426003

Nebraska Schools in Need of Improvement Look Deeper Than Test Score Ratings
http://netnebraska.org/article/news/1159418/schools-need-improvement-look-deeper-ratings

New Jersey Many Students in Limbo After Court Throws Out PARCC Exit Exam
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/01/17/state-officials-to-judges-let-classes-of-2019-and-2020-graduate-under-old-rules/

New York Assessment Reformers Oppose Bill That Would Lock In Test-Based Teacher Evaluations
https://www.nysape.org/nysape-pr—vote-no-to-appr-bill.html

North Carolina State Tests May Get Shorter, Less Stressful
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article224589430.html
North Carolina Fewer Tests Help, But Let’s End Test-Driven School Grades Too
https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article224768300.html

Tennessee Voters Hope New Education Commissioner Can Get Testing Right
https://chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2019/01/17/tennesseans-hope-their-new-education-commissioner-can-get-testing-right/

Texas Bill Would Eliminate STAAR Test
http://www.ksla.com/2019/01/17/state-rep-wants-staar-test-eliminated/
Texas New State House Speaker Opposes Tying School Finance to Test Scores
https://www.yourbasin.com/news/dennis-bonnen-says-he-doesn-t-support-linking-standardized-tests-to-school-finance/1710205823

University Admissions More Colleges Than Ever Have ACT/SAT-Optional Policies
https://www.tun.com/blog/more-colleges-than-ever-have-test-optional-admissions-policies-and-thats-a-good-thing/
University Admissions Students Accused of Cheating Can Now Sue Test Makers, Judge Says
https://www.nj.com/education/2019/01/sorry-act-kids-accused-of-cheating-can-now-sue-you-nj-judge-says.html
University Admission Flagged Test Score Brings School Board Review
https://www.miamitimesonline.com/faith_family/family_news/flagged-sat-scores-incident-draws-school-board-review/article_62266f7e-19a8-11e9-a7a7-ef41cfc1e582.html

International United Kingdom School Grading Fixation Fails Students, Teachers
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jan/21/ofsteds-grade-fixation-fails-pupils-and-teachers

Worth Reading Are High-Stakes Testing Cut-Off Scores Legitimate?
https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/18546/

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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