The advent of public school testing season brings with it heightened grassroots pressure for meaningful assessment reform. From third-grade promotion exams to high school graduation tests to exam-score-based teacher evaluations, policymakers are responding to concerns from parents, students, educators and community leaders.
National Consumer Guide to Testing Under Federal “Every Student Succeeds Act”
https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/rd-assessment-guide
National Will Changes in State ESSA Plans Be a Test for Betsy DeVos?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/03/essa-states-revisions-devos-plans-change.html
Colorado Bill Advancing to Reduce Test Emphasis in Teacher Evaluations
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2019/03/06/no-longer-every-teacher-every-year-union-backed-bill-would-change-colorado-teacher-evaluation-law/
Florida New Opt-Out Guide Published
https://theoptoutfloridanetwork.wordpress.com/2019/03/09/opt-out-2019-deny-the-data-refuse-your-consent/
Florida House Takes Steps to Eliminate Controversial Teacher Test
https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/2019/03/07/florida-house-takes-steps-to-eliminate-controversial-teacher-test/
Georgia Parent Finds Correlation Between Schools’ Exam Scores and Recess Time
https://flagpole.com/news/news-features/2019/03/06/athens-parent-sees-tie-between-recess-time-and-test-scores
Massachusetts Parents Take Concerns About Testing, School Funding and Related Issues to State House
https://www.gazettenet.com/Public-education-legislative-breakfast-23893213
Michigan Governor Wants to Overturn Test-Based Third Grade Retention Law
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/education/2019/03/07/gov-whitmer-wants-overturn-third-grade-retention-law/3091565002/
New Jersey Commissioner Hears Feedback About Grad Test Replacement
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/03/11/high-school-graduation-in-nj-commissioner-principals-discuss-key-issues/
New York Were Schools Listed as “Struggling” Due to High Opt-Out Rate?
https://chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2019/03/05/opt-out-struggling-schools-nyc/
New York City Schools Chief Says Current Exam is Not Valid as Sole Criterion for Selective Admissions
https://hechingerreport.org/student-voices-nycs-schools-chief-richard-carranza-promised-us-hell-keep-pushing-for-racial-integration/
Ohio Over-reliance on Standardized Tests Leads to Failed School Grading System, Misguided Takeovers
https://www.limaohio.com/opinion/editorials/345565/editorial-ohio-legislature-needs-to-rethink-school-takeovers
Ohio State Evaluating Long-Term, Exam-Free Options for High School Graduation
https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/state-school-board-today-looking-long-term-graduation-rules/2hLgB3e8trQkWlpH3aHMLM/
Pennsylvania Talented Student May Be Denied Graduation by Testing Requirement
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2019/03/teen-has-the-stuff-for-mit-or-princeton-but-might-not-graduate-from-easton-area-high-school.html
Tennessee Hoping to Avoid More Failures, Bids Open for New Testing Vendor
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/education/2019/03/05/tnready-testing-vendors-2019-tennessee-department-of-education/3066238002/
Tennessee Family Refuses to Take State Test Four Years in a Row
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/knox-county-parent-refuses-tnready-test-four-years-in-a-row/51-c7e492a2-a5e1-43e7-b6d5-a4dc2d8e6b79
Texas Head of Legislative Hispanic Caucus Files Bill to Suspend STAAR Test for Two Years
https://www.cbs19.tv/article/news/texas-state-senator-filing-bill-to-halt-staar-test-for-2-years/501-531da64d-db88-4862-bf91-2f77af434643
Texas Students Who Failed Old Standardized Tests Finally Get High School Diplomas
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/heartache-to-bliss-students-who-failed-old-standardized-tests-finally-get-diplomas/287-510a9a2a-e0bb-4ea1-9120-96113c527401
Texas Legislative Committee Begins Hearings on State Exams
https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/House-panel-s-investigation-of-STAAR-test-13665750.php
Washington House Passes Bill to Remove Test as Graduation Requirement
https://www.washingtonea.org/ourvoice/post/house-passes-bill-to-remove-testing-as-graduation-requirement/%e2%80%ac/
West Virginia Poverty and Opioid Crisis Depress School Test Scores
https://wvah.com/news/i-team/iteam-investigation-how-outside-factors-invade-west-virginias-classrooms
International Australian Standardized Testing On Its Last Legs
https://www.smh.com.au/education/on-its-last-legs-why-the-world-is-abandoning-naplan-style-tests-20190308-p512v4.html
University Admissions DePauw to Drop ACT/SAT Requirement
https://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/34171/
Worth Reading If All That Testing Improved Learning, Why Isn’t U.S. #1 in the World?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/03/04/if-all-that-testing-had-been-improving-us-we-would-have-been-highest-achieving-nation-world-heres-what-does-work-school-reform/
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