November’s sweeping electoral victories for teachers and programs that advance public education have encouraged assessment reformers across the U.S. to push back against new test-and-punish initiatives and reverse current misuses of standardized exams. FairTest believes 2019 will be a year of major victories in the movement for assessment policies that support better teaching and more learning. Watch this space for new developments!
Florida Early Childhood Educators Seek Overhaul of State Pre-K Assessments
https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20181130/early-learning-advocates-hop…
Illinois New School Assessment Criteria Shakes Up School Rankings
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/Schools-8217-rankings-chan…
Kentucky State Backing Down on New Graduation Requirement
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2018/12/03/educatio…
Kentucky Advocates Concerned About Proposed Exit Exam Rules
https://wfpl.org/advocates-concerned-over-proposed-ky-high-school-gradua…
Kentucky Imposing Exit Exam Won’t Improve Student Academic Performance
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2018/11/28/obama-ed…
Maine Biases in Exams May Keep Qualified Applicants — Especially Immigrants — From Becoming Teachers
http://www.mainepublic.org/post/biases-exams-may-keep-qualified-applican…
Massachusetts Test-Driven “Reform” Failed to Close Achievement Gap
https://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/11/ed_reform_architect_paul…
Michigan Legislators Urged to Flunk Lame Duck Session’s “A-F” School Grading Bill
https://www.fox47news.com/yes/legislators-urged-to-flunk-a-f-grading-bill
Ohio Current Juniors and Seniors Almost Certain to Get Options to Graduation Test
https://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/ohio-seniors-juniors-almost-certa…
South Carolina Read New School Ratings with a Grain of Salt
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/how-to-read-south-carolina-s-new-sch…
Tennessee Memphis School Board Calls on Legislature to Drop State Test
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2018/11/27/memphis-school-board-consi…
Virginia School Loses Federal “Blue Ribbon” Status Over Test Cheating
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/education/the-u-s-department-of-educ…
Wyoming Fight Over Testing Young Children Reaches Legislature
https://trib.com/news/local/education/natrona-county-school-board-brings…
International Finland Shows How Mean Spirited U.S. Education Really Is
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/education/2018/11/26/educator-fin…
Worth Reading Faith in High-Stakes Testing Fades, Even Among Corporate “School Reformers”
https://janresseger.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/18126/
Worth Reading Two Unintended Legacies of Test-and-Punish “Accountability” Policies
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2018/11/two_uninten…
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