Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 3 – 8, 2019

With new state legislative sessions getting underway, momentum is building for further rollbacks of testing overuse and misuse. Look for many more victories in 2019 as parents, educators, students and community leaders push for genuine assessment reform.

California Governor Brown Abandoned Top-Down Accountability, Pushed Multiple Indicators
https://edsource.org/2019/landmark-reforms-championed-by-gov-brown-leave-deep-imprint-on-california-education/606576

Florida State’s School Grades Ignore Many Groups of Students
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-floridas-school-grades-ignore-too-many-groups-of-students-20190104/

Georgia Pilot Planned for Alternative Assessments
https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20190106/georgia-to-pilot-new-student-assessments-savannah-chatham-public-schools-opt-not-join-but-to-listen-and-learn

Michigan Fight to Stop Lame Duck School Grading Scheme Has Not Ended
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigans-f-school-ratings-ice-until-attorney-general-weighs

Mississippi Testing Overload Among Top Issues for Legislature
https://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Pay-testing-and-safety-among-2019-Mississippi-13509586.php

New Jersey Schools Await Guidance After Court Strikes Down PARCC Graduation Test
https://www.njherald.com/20190103/schools-await-guidance-after-parcc-ruling#
New Jersey How to Advance Assessment Reform After Court Kills Zombie PARCC

New Mexico New Governor Orders End to PARCC Test
https://www.abqjournal.com/1264248/lujan-grisham-orders-end-to-parcc-testing-in-nm.html

New York Parents Demand State Return Gates Foundation Testing-Promotion Grant
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/new-yorkers-demand-regents-nysed-return-the-misguided-gates-foundation-grant
New York High-Stakes Testing for Selective School Admissions Is Also Biased Against Females
https://hechingerreport.org/the-problem-with-high-stakes-testing-and-women-in-stem/

South Carolina End the Bubble Test Culture
http://www.chronicle-independent.com/section/49/article/52054/

Tennessee Company That Administered Flawed Computerized Exam Wants New Contract
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2019/01/06/tnready-questar-assessment-testing-contract-tennessee/2495566002/

Texas More Tests and School Takeovers Won’t Solve Educational Problems
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/To-save-Houston-s-schools-fight-the-TEA-13504780.

University Admissions What Do We Know About Test-Optional Policies
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/views/2019/01/07/we-know-lot-about-test-optional-admissions-more-research-still-needed
University Admissions Student Accused of SAT Cheating After Large Score Gain
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article223869480.html

Worth Reading What if The Well-Being of Children Was More Important Than Test Scores?
https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/69809?tab=reviews

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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