Testing Resistance & Reform News: March 7 -13 , 2018

This week’s news stories — from a third of all U.S. states and around the world — shows the growing impact of grassroots organizing to replace high-stakes exams with better types of assessments. Policy-makers are clearly beginning to heed the “Less Testing, More Learning” message:

NationalMajor Study Concludes: Don’t Use ACT/SAT as State High School Test
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/03/13/dont-use-sat-and-act-as-your.html

ArizonaLegislature Pushes Plan to Replace School Grades with Multi-Factor “Dashboard”
https://news.azpm.org/p/news-articles/2018/3/6/125282-bill-to-put-school-evaluations-on-dashboards-passes-arizona-senate/

CaliforniaProposed Compromise with Feds Will Continue Multi-Factor School Report Cards
https://edsource.org/2018/california-closes-in-on-compromise-for-complying-with-federal-education-law/594404

ColoradoModel Letter to Opt Out of End-of-Year Tests
http://www.pegwithpen.com/2018/03/opting-out-of-dinosaur-end-of-year-test.html

District of ColumbiaEducational Quality Obscured by Fixation on “Data”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-school-scandals-tell-me-that-its-not-great-and-that-youre-dealing-with-it/2018/03/10/b73d9cf0-1d9e-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html

FloridaComprehensive Opt-Out Tool Kit
https://theoptoutfloridanetwork.wordpress.com/opt-out-toolbox/

Florida Testing Obsession Diverts Attention From Building Character
https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/opinion/letter-schools-would-be-safer-if-we-had-fewer-tests-more-character/

GeorgiaLegislators Seek to Reduce State-Testing Mandates
https://www.myajc.com/news/state–regional-education/georgia-lawmakers-seek-reduce-school-testing/u7PTdopwH5krn4pOrWXSBM/

IdahoLegislators Skeptical of NewReading Test
https://www.idahoednews.org/news/review-of-new-reading-test-leaves-lawmakers-skeptical/

IndianaBasing School Grades on College Admissions Test Scores Makes Little Sense
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2018/03/09/indiana-touts-workforce-readiness-but-it-could-judge-schools-by-a-college-prep-test/

Indiana Test Anxiety Affects Students of All Ages
http://www.kpcnews.com/news/latest/heraldrepublican/article_c03be92f-9f4f-5dfe-ae78-e36a0df67020.html

IowaState House Passes Bill Eliminating Teacher Licensing Test
http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Iowa-bill-could-make-it-easier-to-be-a-school-teacher-476180083.html

MarylandState Legislator Seeks to Eliminate PARCC Exam Requirement
http://www.wbal.com/article/299343/21/delegate-looking-to-eliminate-parcc-testing-in-maryland

MassachusettsThreats, Bribes and Blaming Result From High-Stakes Testing Culture
https://lesstestingmorelearning.tumblr.com/post/171625563429/story-9-student-i-saw-threats-bribery-and

MississippiBoard Chair Says State Already Has Multiple Graduation Pathways, Not Exit Exam
https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/03/11/high-school-students-offered-multiple-pathways-graduation-column/409953002/

New JerseyState Takes Another Step to End PARCC Testing
http://www.nj.com/education/2018/03/no_more_parcc_nj_to_search_for_new_state_exams.html

New YorkAdmissions Test Continues to Limit Diversity at Special High Schools
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/07/nyregion/admissions-specialized-high-schools-new-york.html

OhioTest-Driven Education Doesn’t Prepare Students for the Future
http://www.dailycall.com/opinion/columns/36654/the-more-things-change-the-more-they-stay-the-same

TexasPendulum Has to Swing to Less Testing, More Teaching
https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/local/scene/2018/03/10/candace-cooksey-fulton-texas-needs-get-back-basics-public-education/402891002/

VirginiaSchools Developing Performance Assessments
http://www.whsv.com/content/news/RCPS-developing-performance-based-SOL-testing-476619723.html

University AdmissionsMaker of Law School Exam Held In Contempt for Blocking Disability Accommodations
https://www.law.com/2018/03/06/lsat-maker-held-in-contempt-over-disability-accommodations/

InternationalAustralia Teachers Say Put at End to “Failed Decade” of Testing
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/act/my-school-2017-teachers-call-for-end-to-failed-decade-of-literacy-and-numeracy-testing-20180306-h0x2d1.html

International Icelandic Tests Repeatedly Disrupted by Computer Failures
http://icelandreview.com/news/2018/03/09/standardized-tests-botched-repeatedly

Worth ReadingSchott Foundation’s “Loving Cities Index” Rejects Test-and-Punish Schooling
https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/15573/

Worth Reading School Quality Reviews Seek Accountability for Deeper Learning
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_deeply/2018/03/rediscovering_school_quality_reviews.html

http://www.fairtest.org

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