Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 17 – 23, 2018

Election Day 2018 is only two weeks away. There’s still time to identify and support candidates who will promote assessments that advance deeper learning and stronger teaching, not impose counter-productive test-and-punish policies. Remember: if you want to change bad policies, you have to change policy makers!

National Vote Against Narrow-Minded School “Reformers” Who Promote Test-and-Punish Policies
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/10/22/education-professor-my-students-asked-who-i-would-vote-heres-what-i-told-them/

Multiple Jurisdictions Four States Signal Interest in ESSA Assessment Innovation Pilot
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/10/essa-innovation-testing-georgia-kansas-south-carolina-hawaii.html

Florida Governor Candidates Differ Strongly Over Standardized Testing, Other Education Issues
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/school-zone/os-ne-governors-race-education-20181016-story.html

Georgia Both Candidates for Ed. Superintendent Criticize Testing Overkill
https://www.myajc.com/news/local-education/candidates-for-state-school-superintendent-bridge-partisan-divide/fk7DvogIWQ8IyLmOY5pDWO/

Indiana Students and Teachers, Not Testing, Make Biggest Difference in Schools
https://www.jconline.com/story/news/opinion/letters/2018/10/16/op-ed-teachers-not-testing-make-biggest-difference-our-schools/1658362002/

Maine State Backs Away From Proficiency-Based Learning
https://chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2018/10/18/maine-went-all-in-on-proficiency-based-learning-then-rolled-it-back-what-does-that-mean-for-the-rest-of-the-country/

Massachusetts Testing Fixation Limits Project-Based Work, Portfolio Assessment
https://lesstestingmorelearning.tumblr.com/post//story-24-teacher-mcas-takes-toll-on

New Jersey PARCC Test Gets New Name, Fewer Questions
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/education/parcc-gets-a-new-name-fewer-questions-for-spring/article_7c344958-37ff-5b8b-84bd-fc67f7f244a0.html

New York The Opt-Out Movement is Quietly Gaining Ground
https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-the-opt-out-movement-is-gaining-ground-quietly/

North Carolina Test-Focused Third Grade “Read to Achieve” Policy Failed to Improve Academic Performance
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article220318855.html

Ohio State School Board Supports Multiple Pathways to High School Graduation
https://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/state-school-board-backs-long-term-graduation-changes-weighs-emergency-fix/j6RfiT2qG9496m9iio3ItK/

Pennsylvania Superintendents Support New Alternatives to Exit Exam
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/here-s-what-you-need-to-know-about-pa-changing/article_5dcc3f5c-d17e-11e8-987d-dba75641f946.html
Pennsylvania Keystone Exams Were A Mistake from the Start
https://www.timesleader.com/opinion/editorials/722189/their-view-keystone-exams-were-a-mistake-from-the-start

Tennessee Legislative Elections Will Determine Testing Policy
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2018/10/18/its-not-just-the-governors-race-heres-what-tennessees-big-legislative-turnover-could-mean-for-education/
Tennessee County School Board Votes “No Confidence” in State Test
https://www.manchestertimes.com/living/education/county-school-board-issues-no-confidence-vote-for-tnready/article_19ace1be-d16a-11e8-8bc8-6b863a6a57e3.html

Worth Reading Putting the Public Back Into Public School Accountability
http://www.kappanonline.org/gottlieb-schneider-putting-public-back-into-public-accountability-public-schools/

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

Tags: