Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 11 – 17, 2017

Parents, educators, students and education activists continue to escalate the fight to replace standardized exam misuse and overuse with better forms of assessment. Meanwhile, the testing industry provides even more fodder for reform campaigns with more scoring screw-ups and fights over contract awards.

ArizonaState’s Letter Grades Punish Schools for Teaching Poor Kids
http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2017/10/10/arizona-letter-grades-punish-schools-teaching-poor-students/749343001/

CaliforniaHigh School Exit Exam Requirement Permanently Repealed
https://edsource.org/2017/california-joins-trend-among-states-to-abandon-high-school-exit-exam/588640

ColoradoState School Rating System Takes Two Paths on Opt Outs
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/co/2017/10/11/colorado-bows-to-federal-pressure-adopts-second-school-quality-system-that-penalizes-schools-for-testing-opt-out/

FloridaIs There Any Good in Incessant Testing?
http://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20171017/sarah-mcintosh-is-there-any-good-in-incessant-testing

IndianaPolicy-Makers Look to De-Emphasize Graduation Test
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2017/10/11/new-paths-high-school-graduation-could-mean-less-retesting-struggling-students/751222001/

Indiana Testing Troubles Continue
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/20171012/testing-testing

Indiana Scrap School Grading System with Wrong-Headed Focus
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/sunday-centerpiece/20171015/an-f-for-effort

IowaCompanies Fight Over Testing Contract
https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/pearson-fights-award-iowa-testing-contract-rival-vendor/?cmp=soc-tw-shr-mktbf

MassachusettsWhy Educators Oppose the State Tests
http://www.cambridgeday.com/2017/10/14/why-we-oppose-mcas-2-0/

MinnesotaOpt-Out Numbers Trend Upward
http://www.albertleatribune.com/2017/10/high-school-sees-trend-of-opt-outs-for-state-tests/

New YorkState Exams Will Get More Scrutiny After Recent Flawed Questions
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/ny-education-chief-regents-exams-to-get-more-scrutiny-for-accuracy-1.14502631

North CarolinaParents Push Back Against State Takeover of Low Scoring Schools
http://wunc.org/post/state-wants-take-over-their-kids-school-here-s-how-some-parents-feel-about-it#stream/0

OhioState’s Report Cards Don’t Accurately Measure What’s Important About Schools
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2017/10/16/report-cards-not-most-important-measure-schools/760106001/

OregonMoratorium on School Grades Continues
http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/5666879-151/no-grades-again-on-state-report-cards-for

South CarolinaChallenging Test’s Guaranteed Failure Rate
http://www.chronicle-independent.com/section/53/article/48680/

TennesseeThousands of Exams Scored Inaccurately
http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/education/2017/10/13/thousands-tnready-tests-scored-incorrectly/762142001/

TexasHouston Agrees to End Value-Added Measurement of Teachers to Settle Lawsuit
http://www.educationviews.org/federal-suit-settlement-value-added-measures-houston/

VirginiaScrap State-Mandated Tests to Move Education Forward
http://baconsrebellion.com/40890-2/

InternationalBritish Exam Prep Factories Put Students’ Futures at Risk
https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/education/ofsted-exam-factory-schools-risking-pupils-futures/

International Canada School Trustees Call for End of Test-Based School Rankings
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/school-trustees-call-for-end-to-harmful-and-unfortunate-school-rankings-1.4351017

University AdmissionsTime for Plan to Aid Underserved Students
http://diverseeducation.com/article/102875/

University Admissions Why Brown Should Go Test-Optional
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2017/10/15/letter-brown-go-test-optional/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office-(239) 395-6773 fax-(239) 395-6779
mobile-(239) 699-0468
web-http://www.fairtest.org

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