As policy-makers debate re-opening classrooms later this year, momentum is growing to continue the suspension of K-12 testing mandates at least into the next academic year. Already at the undergraduate admissions level, about half of all bachelor-degree granting institutions have announced ACT/SAT-optional for Fall 2021 admissions and, in many case, future years. Parents, educators and community leaders need to pressure public schools to follow suit.
California Legislation Advances to Extend District Flexibility to Suspend Standardized Exams
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/28/california-school-districts-could-forego-attendance-standardized-tests-during-coronavirus-pandemic/
California Governor Suspends Testing Requirements for Teacher Candidates
https://edsource.org/2020/governor-suspends-california-teacher-testing-requirements-for-candidates-impacted-by-coronavirus-closures/632780
Colorado Could COVID-19 Change the Obsession with School Testing and “Accountability”
https://coloradosun.com/2020/05/30/colorado-school-testing-students-coronavirus-opinion/
Florida Parents, Educators Push to Eliminate New Civic Literacy Test
https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2020/05/26/parents-professors-and-nonprofits-join-to-petition-against-new-civic-literacy-test/
Florida State Plan for Post-COVID School Grading Is Nonsense
https://accountabaloney.com/index.php/2020/05/30/prior-prior-learning-gains-and-other-post-covid-accountabaloney/
Georgia Dump One-Size-Fits All Assessments of Teacher Candidates
https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/opinion-georgia-should-dump-one-size-fits-all-assessment-teacher-candidates/yL1dmBvg4bs5wwQ1B5Dt4J/
Massachusetts Community Conversation to Resist High-Stakes Testing and Reclaim Public Education
https://www.facebook.com/events/272107710599928/
New York Town Hall Set to Explore Selective High Schools Admissions Requirements
https://www.silive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/town-hall-set-on-fall-2021-admissions-process-at-nyc-schools.html
North Carolina Superintendent Tells National Ed. Summit “Students Are Not Test Scores”
https://www.salisburypost.com/2020/05/29/moody-tells-national-educators-webinar-that-students-are-not-test-scores/
Ohio House Passes Bill Reducing Testing Requirements, Including Third Grade Retention
https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local-education/ohio-house-passes-bill-further-limit-state-school-testing/HJTZxlgVcIMBEPPht8gYJL/
South Carolina Poll Shows Most School Leaders Want Test Waivers to Extend Into Next School Year
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article243022676.html
Texas Schools Opt Out of At-Home End of Year Assessments
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Southeast-Texas-schools-opt-out-of-TEA-assessment-15296056.php
Wisconsin The Demise of Standardized Testing
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/05/27/the-demise-of-standardized-tests/
University Admissions More ACT, College Board Testing Fiascos
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/05/30/testing-giants-act-college-board-struggle-amid-covid-19-pandemic/
University Admissions Advanced Placement Lawsuit Is No Public Relations Stunt
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2020/05/24/college-boards-ap-botch-lawsuit-no-pr-stunt/
University Admissions Time to Boycott Standardized Tests
https://www.wral.com/amanda-lamb-boycott-standardized-testing/19124062/
Worth Reading Why Shouldn’t High-Stakes Tests Be Abandoned Next School Year?
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2020/05/why-should-high-stakes-testing-be.html
Worth Reading Universal Design Principles Are Needed for Better Assessments
https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-universal-design-create-better-assessments
Bob Schaeffer, interim Executive Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
contributor: The Scandal of Standardized Tests: Why We Need to Drop the SAT & ACT
(new from Teachers College Press, April 2020)
office- (239) 395-6773 mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org