Testing Resistance & Reform News: June 15 – 21, 2016

With public schools closing for the summer, many states are reviewing their 2015-2016 testing experience (once again, not a pretty picture) and planning to implement assessment reforms in coming years. You can help stop the U.S. Department of Education from promoting testing misuse and overuse by weighing in on proposed Every Student Succeeds Act regulations.

National Act Now to Stop Federal Regulations That Reimpose Failed No Child Left Behind Test-and-Punish Policies
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-department-must-drop-proposed-accountability-regulations

Alaska State Preps for Implementing New Federal Education Law
http://skagwaynews.com/school-preps-for-phasing-out-no-child-left-behind-policies/

Delaware Teacher Evaluations Could Be Less Focused on Test scores
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2016/06/20/test-scores-evaluations/86134396/

Florida Legal Fight Looms Over Third Grade Retention Based on Test Participation
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-opt-out-retention-20160619-story.html

Florida Parents Pressure School Board on Test-Use Policies
http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/education/article84734742.html

Georgia School Chief Addresses Testing Meltdown
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2016/06/17/state-school-chief-on-milestones-meltdown-were-fixing-it/

Indiana Panel Unclear on Vision for New Assessments
http://indianapublicmedia.org/stateimpact/2016/06/14/istep-panel-unclear-vision-assessment/

Kansas State Testing Time Will Be Reduced
http://www.kake.com/story/32231184/state-test-time-to-be-reduced

Kentucky Feds Respond to State’s Accountability Plan Concerns
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2016/06/16/us-ed-dept-responds-accountability-concerns/86010782/

Maryland State Commission Passes Buck to Reduce Testing to Schools
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/testing-commission-wraps-asking-local-school-systems-finish-work/2016/06/15

Maryland Students Say Too Much Testing
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-testing-letter-20160617-story.html

Massachusetts Schools to Help Map Assessments of the Future
http://www.capenews.net/bourne/news/bourne-to-help-map-future-of-school-assessments/article_4048811d-eddc-5195-ad20-eec61eb86a60.html

Missouri Schools Are More Than Test Scores
http://ccheadliner.com/opinion/local-viewpoint-jtsd-is-more-than-its-test-scores/article_0c9d7b60-3305-11e6-a685-cf3e9a4ffb56.html

New York Test Flexibility for Students with Learning Disabilities is Step in Right Direction
http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/06/15/regents-disabilities-graduation-rule-change-editorial/85885818/

New York Families Fight Back Against Opt-Out Punishments
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/16/how-some-students-who-refused-to-take-high-stakes-standardized-tests-are-being-punished/

Ohio State Eases Some Test Score Cut Offs
http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/news/state-eases-some-test-score-levels/nrgQZ/

Oklahoma Legislature Ends Exit Exam Graduation Requirement
http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/what-last-minute-change-in-student-testing-law-means-for/article_f69102e3-97c2-52bc-b616-4fcab147a186.html

Tennessee State Comptroller Finds Computer Testing Problems Widespread
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2016/06/20/tennessee-comptroller-lists-online-test-issues-every-state/86137098/

Tennessee Testing Is “In a Transition Phase”
http://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2016/06/14/theme-of-junes-testing-task-force-meeting-were-in-a-transition-phase/

Texas Scrapped STAAR Scores Add to Standardized Testing Frustration
http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2016/06/15/scrapped-staar-scores-add-frustration-standardized-testing-texas/

Texas Legislator Says State Should Not Pay for Flawed Tests
http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2016-06-13

Texas Study Panel Not Yet Ready to Ditch State Standardized Exams
http://keranews.org/post/study-panel-not-ready-ditch-staar

Utah State Residents Give Failing Grade to Common Core Standardized Testing
http://www.sltrib.com/news/4001870-155/tribune-poll-utahns-give-failing-grades

Wisconsin Test Changes Render Year-to-Year Comparisons Useless
http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/opinion/editorial/article_8b7bf9a8-5825-5791-a621-d02ed86c3b63.html

International Nine Out of Ten British Teachers Say Test Prep Focus Hurts Students’ Mental Health
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/nine-10-teachers-believe-sats-preparation-harms-childrens-mental

University Admission If High School GPA Is Best Predictor of College Outcomes, Why Do Schools Cling to ACT/SAT
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2016/06/15/if-gpa-is-the-best-predictor-of-college-success-why-do-colleges-cling-to-act-and-sat/

Worth Reading Opt-Out Movement Reflects Genuine Concerns of Parents
http://educationnext.org/opt-out-reflects-genuine-concerns-of-parents-forum-testing/

Worth Reading Study Finds More Testing, Less Play in Kindergarten
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/06/21/481404169/more-testing-less-play-study-finds-higher-expectations-for-kindergartners

Worth Reading Test Scores Are Poor Predictors of Life Outcomes
https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/test-scores-poor-indicator-of-students-life-outcomes-and-school-quality-new-consensus/