Testing Resistance & Reform News: May 9 – 15, 2018

The rich array of stories in this week’s news clips — online, in print, via video and audio — reported from a third of U.S. states and around the world demonstrate the breadth, depth and impact of the assessment reform movement.

California Student Academic Performance Improved After State Backed Away From “Test-and-Punish”
https://edsource.org/2018/a-closer-look-at-californias-impressive-educat…

Colorado Feds Finally Approve State ESSA Plan After Language Changes Regarding Opt Outs
http://www.coloradoindependent.com/170117/chalkbeat-colorado-education-p…

Florida School Board Chair Opposes Unfair Test Requirements
http://www.jacksonville.com/opinion/20180513/guest-column-state-may-impo…

Georgia A Standardized Test for School Taxpayers
http://www.savannahnow.com/opinion/20180514/letters-to-editor-tuesday-st…

Louisiana Rationale for State Testing Program is Not Based on Facts
https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/louisianas-leap-2025-testing-…
Louisiana Schools Should Be Evaluated on More Than Just Test Scores
http://news.tulane.edu/news/study-says-schools-should-be-evaluated-more-…

Massachusetts Teacher Refuses to Be Silenced About Testing Tyranny
https://lesstestingmorelearning.tumblr.com/post/173831731094/story-18-te…

Michigan Third Grade Retention Is a Counter-Productive Way to Improve Reading
https://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/opinion-dont-punish-schools-be…
Michigan Parent Upset By Plan to Use State Test Scores as Part of Classroom Grades
http://wwmt.com/news/local/parent-upset-m-step-used-as-part-of-the-marsh…

Minnesota More Students Have Parental Authorization to Opt Out
http://www.republican-eagle.com/news/government-and-politics/4443470-red…

Mississippi Score Reporting Delay Disrupts Graduation, Grade Placement Planning
Mississippi Task Force Named to Examine State Testing
https://mississippitoday.org/2018/05/09/education-task-force-named-to-ex…

New Mexico Candidates for Governor Pledge to Reverse Incumbent’s Test-Drive Education Policies
http://nmindepth.com/2018/05/04/a-look-at-issues-at-dem-governors-forum/

New York Pressuring Kids to Not Opt-Out of Tests Is Bad Policy
https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/05/09/district-s-policy-on-math-te…
New York Decouple Test Scores From Teacher Evaluations
https://www.newsday.com/opinion/commentary/decouple-tests-from-evaluatio…
New York Some Next Steps for Test Critics and Resistors
http://withabrooklynaccent.blogspot.com/2018/05/next-steps-for-test-crit…

Ohio Legislator Calls for Scrapping School A-to-F Grades for More Meaningful Measures
http://www.wtrf.com/news/ohio-headlines/oh-lawmaker-proposes-scrapping-a…

Pennsylvania Project-Based Learning Pushes Back Against Standardized Testing Limits
http://hechingerreport.org/project-based-learning-and-standardized-tests…
Pennsylvania We’re Not Testing Students Less When We Administer More “Diagnostic” Exams
https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2018/05/14/pennsylvanias-broken-testing-…

South Carolina Quit Dumping on Teachers: Test Scores Are an Insane Measuring Stick
http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-lauderdale/a…
South Carolina Testing Vendors Rake in Billions of Taxpayers’ Dollars
https://www.moultrienews.com/opinion/teacher-to-parent—testing-vendors…

Tennessee Schools Will Be “Held Harmless” for Score-Based Consequences Due to Testing Problems
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2018/05/14/tennessee-tnr…
Tennessee Some Student Answers Lost in Computer Test Disruption
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2018/05/09/some-tennessee-students-lo…
Tennessee Testing Company Sues State for $25 Million Payment Following Computer Exam Disruption
https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/tennessee-measurement-in…

Utah Treat State Test Results with At Least a Spoonful of “Salt”
https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900018283/op-ed-take-sage-testing-wi…

University Admissions Two More Colleges to Offer Test-Optional Admission
http://www.startribune.com/want-to-skip-the-act-or-sat-two-more-minnesot…
University Admissions Are the SAT’s “Racist”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBSHj2815c
University Admissions FairTest Database of 1,000+ Test-Optional/Test-Flexible Colleges
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
University Admissions Bar Ass’n. Advances Proposal to End Law School Admissions Test Mandate
https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2018/05/11/aba-moves-forward-with…

International Australian Students Boycott Tests After Principal Admits They Are a Waste of Time
https://au.news.yahoo.com/waste-time-parents-boycott-naplan-test-1121225…
International England Teachers Tell Students “These Tests Only Measure a Little Bit of You”
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/may/15/these-tests-only-measu…

Worth Reading Former U.S. Ed. Secretaries Spellings & Duncan Get It Totally Wrong
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/05/spellings-and-duncan-get-it-w…
Worth Reading Much Reporting Fails to Analyze False Retreat of Education “Reformers”
https://themerrowreport.com/2018/05/11/how-strong-is-education-reporting/
Worth Listening Tests Like the SAT and ACT Won’t Prepare You for the Real World
https://www.marketplace.org/2018/05/09/education/standardized-tests-sat-…
Worth Watching Real Learning is More Than Memorizing and Regurgitating Test Answers
https://www.facebook.com/attn/videos/1751124708256314/

Tags: