Testing Resistance & Reform News: May 22 – 28, 2019

There was no holiday in testing news during the past week — both new standardized exam misuse outrages and more assessment reform progress. Help your allies and friends fight back by encouraging them to sign up for these topical updates at: http://www.fairtest.org/weekly-news-signup

Alabama Parents Fear Proposed Third Grade Reading Test Would Primarily Hold Back Disadvantaged Children
https://abc3340.com/news/local/parents-fear-reading-test-will-hold-back-low-income-students

California State May Overhaul Reading Teacher Competence Test
https://edsource.org/2019/california-considers-overhaul-of-test-assessing-teacher-preparedness-for-reading-instruction/612847
California Don’t Use the ACT/SAT to Undermine K-12 Accountability
https://edsource.org/2019/dont-use-the-sat-or-act-to-undermine-education-accountability/612942

Florida Parents and Educators Offer Overwhelmingly Negative Feedback to Survey About State’s Tests and Standards
https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2019/05/24/beyond-the-states-spin-simple-survey-reveals-frustrated-educators-families-and-a-troubled-fl-school-system/
Florida State Ends Teacher Bonuses Based on ACT/SAT Results From When They Were Teenagers; New Formula Misuses Student Test Scores
http://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2019/05/23/re-signing-sb7070-probably-wont-make-teachers-like-it-any-better/
Florida Teacher Resigns Calling on Policy Makers to Fix “Toxic Testing Nightmare”
https://www.theledger.com/news/20190524/teacher-resigns-pleads-to-board-to-fix-toxic-testing-nightmare

Illinois Bill to Suspend Teacher Licensing Test Heads to Governor
http://www.dailyregister.com/news/20190520/bill-suspending-teacher-basic-skills-test-heads-to-governor–critics-say-test-deters-many-from-entering-profession-especially-people-of-color

Louisiana Value-Added Bungling on Display
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2019/05/23/louisianas-vam-quantitative-bungling-on-display/

Massachusetts Pool of Students Accepted at Exam Schools Is Getting Whiter
https://www.wgbh.org/news/education/2019/05/22/the-pool-of-students-accepted-at-bostons-exam-schools-is-getting-whiter
Massachusetts It Will Take More than Leaning on Teachers to Close Achievement Gap
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2019/05/22/take-more-than-leaning-boston-teachers-close-achievement-gap/lW9E1isCHZol9yksTXiR6O/story.html

Mississippi Thousands of Third Graders Could Be Held Back After One in Four Fail Reading Promotion Test With Higher Bar
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2019/05/22/thousands-of-mississippi-third-graders-could-be-held-back-next-year/3766869002/

New Mexico Students, Parents and Teachers Celebrate Real Education Reforms
https://www.alamogordonews.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/05/23/new-mexico-students-parents-and-educators-have-great-deal-celebrate/1207568001/

New York Many Pro Opt-Out Candidates Elected to School Boards
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10219333291551469&set=gm.1231664700340199&type=3&theater&ifg=1
New York Opt Out of Field Tests and Press for State Opt-Out Legislation
https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2019/05/warning-stand-alone-field-tests-ahead.html

Ohio Lawmakers Consider Two Paths for High School Graduation; One Without Exit Exam
https://www.wcpo.com/news/education/lawmakers-consider-2-plans-to-change-ohio-graduation-rules

Pennsylvania Here’s a Test Question: Why So Many?
https://www.timesonline.com/news/20190526/charlotte-latvala-heres-test-question-why-so-many
Pennsylvania Principal Loses Pension After Test Cheating Guilty Plea
https://www.philly.com/news/cheating-philadelphia-cayuga-evelyn-cortez-pension-20190524.html

Texas District Relies on Data to Pursue Non-Punitive Reform Models
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-10/school-testing-wars-how-one-texas-district-seized-middle-ground

Utah Computer Testing Contractor Hired Despite History of Crashes and Cyber-attacks
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2019/05/26/utah-knew-company-it/

Virginia Testing Brings Fatigue, Frustration for Many
https://www.wsls.com/education/sol-testing-brings-fatigue-frustration

University Admission SAT Adversity Score Is an Antidote to a “Poison” None of Us Need Take
https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2019/05/27/sat-adversity-score-is-an-antidote-to-poison-none-of-us-need-take/comment-page-1/#comment-23462

International Australian Computer Exam Disruptions Show Need for Testing Policy Review
https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/6181590/naplan-issues-reinforce-need-for-national-review/

Worth Reading Holding Corporate School Reformers Accountable: The Wit and Wisdom of Diane Ravitch
http://www.livingindialogue.com/holding-diane-ravitch-corporate-school-reformers-accountable/
Worth Reading States’ School Letter Grade Systems Did Not Improve Educational Performance
http://vamboozled.com/states-math-and-reading-performance-after-the-implementation-of-school-a-f-letter-grade-policies/

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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