Believe it or not, a new public school year begins in less than two weeks in several states! Fortunately, testing reformers have not been relaxing over the “summer vacation.” Parents, educators, students, and community activists are ready to promote better assessment systems and fight schemes to impose even more high-stakes standardized exams. Check out this week’s news . . .
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-07-29/standardized-testing-is-losing-ground-in-u-s-schools
Florida School Grading Systems Contains Many Flaws, Produces Misleading Results
https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2019/07/25/from-a-d-to-an-a-in-one-year-and-other-anomalies-in-floridas-grading-system-for-public-schools/
Georgia Districts Experiment with Alternative Assessment Programs
https://www.onlineathens.com/news/20190727/area-school-systems-trying-new-student-assessment-tests
Indiana Under Convoluted Rules, Rescoring Exams Can Hurt Teachers
https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/rescoring-students-exams-may-hurt-teachers
Michigan Up to 5,000 Children Could Be Held Back by Third Grade Reading Test
https://www.bedfordnow.com/news/20190726/msu-report-up-to-5000-students-would-be-held-back-if-proposed-law-went-into-effect-today
New York Testing Review to Consider Scrapping Exit Exam
https://13wham.com/news/local/state-board-of-regents-to-review-high-school-diploma-requirements-rethink-regents-exams
North Carolina Feds Approve State’s Plan to Change Exam Requirements
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article232992452.html
North Carolina New Push to Block Controversial Reading Assessments
https://abc11.com/education/new-push-to-block-controversial-nc-reading-program-for-kids/5417390/
Ohio Schools Tire of Changing Graduation Targets
https://www.journal-news.com/news/local-education/butler-county-schools-tire-ohio-moving-high-school-graduation-targets/RtzPh5ZYhCapD7a36niA4L/
Texas Test-Based School Takeovers Fail
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/School-takeovers-fail-Is-Houston-next-Opinion-14148214.php
Utah Student-Oriented Schools Require Less Standardized Testing
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900080859/guest-opinion-an-outline-for-changing-to-a-student-oriented-school-system.html
Vermont School Test Scores Nine Months Overdue
https://vtdigger.org/2019/07/28/school-test-score-data-nine-months-overdue/
Washington A More Positive Future Without Standardized Testing
https://www.union-bulletin.com/local_columnists/a-future-of-positive-change-without-standardized-testing/article_9f3219c6-af0e-11e9-bd32-1b6bd33d9bdd.html
International United Kingdom Parents Sue to Stop Testing of Four-Year-Olds
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/reception-baseline-assessment-test-children-school-a9017456.html
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