Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 2 – 8, 2019

More victories in rolling back high-stakes testing misuse this week, but there’s still a long way to go to achieve real assessment reform. Use these stories as ammunition in your local and statewide campaigns.

NationalFewer States Use Test Scores for Teacher Evaluation
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/us/2019/10/08/teacher-evaluation-test-scores-nctq-obama-duncan/

AlabamaEducators Concerns That Many Third Grades Will Be Held Back By New Reading Law
https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20191007/educators-concerned-3rd-graders-could-be-held-back

ArkansasMajor Flaws in State’s School Grading System
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2019/10/03/lrsd-grades-and-the-many-flaws-in-the-states-education-accountability-system-and-how-its-being-applied

FloridaBonuses Still Awarded Based on Teachers’ Decades-Old High School ACT/SAT Scores
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/education/os-ne-best-brightest-bonuses-teachers-20191001-tupdu2xuwvhcjotaifwyo3x2h4-story.html

IllinoisTest Scores Continue to Reflect Wealth-Based Inequities
https://www.saukvalley.com/2019/10/01/money-matters-how-school-funding-inequities-affect-students-taxpayers/a3e8o2y/

IndianaState Ed Board Reverses Itself on New School Grading Scheme
https://www.ibj.com/articles/indiana-education-board-oks-then-reverses-nuclear-change-in-school-grades

KentuckyEducators Say State Test Is Not a Good Measure
https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/local/dcps-ops-officials-say-k-prep-not-a-true-measure/article_8051273f-6645-5239-9f17-af8e05bdb090.html

MassachusettsBoston Superintendent Places Moratorium on District-Mandated Testing
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2019/10/02/cassellius-puts-moratorium-on-districts-standardized-tests/

Massachusetts Test Retakes Scheduled Due to Racially Insensitive Essay Question
http://www.thecantoncitizen.com/2019/10/04/school-committee-news-85/

MinnesotaIf You Want More Students to Succeed, Address Poverty
https://www.brainerddispatch.com/opinion/columns/4703451-Guest-Opinion-If-you-want-students-to-succeed-address-poverty

New JerseyState Board of Ed Delays Vote on Plan to Trim Testing Requirements
https://www.njspotlight.com/2019/10/state-board-of-education-postpones-vote-on-new-student-testing-plan/

New YorkIs It Time to Eliminate the Regents Graduation Test
https://mets2006.wordpress.com/2019/10/03/is-it-time-to-revise-new-york-state-high-school-graduation-requirements-are-exit-exams-regents-the-best-assessment-of-student-achievement/

TexasTesting Overkill Leads to Standardized Teaching and Learning
https://dentonrc.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letters-to-the-editor-oct/article_36f6f881-e1e9-5816-924e-1dd2b1678b89.html

UtahLetter Grades for Schools May Be Suspended Because of Testing Flaws
https://www.ksl.com/article/46650434/concerns-about-test-data-could-mean-reprieve-in-letter-grades-to-utah-schools

University AdmissionsCalifornia Regents Consider Post-ACT/SAT Future
https://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2019/10/02/64949/a-post-sat-future-uc-regents-considers-scrapping-s/

University Admissions Brown Eliminates GRE Requirement for 25 Doctoral Programs
https://www.brown.edu/news/2019-10-03/gre

Worth ReadingHigher Test Scores Often Mean Less Authentic Learning
https://gadflyonthewallblog.com/2019/10/05/greater-test-scores-often-mean-less-authentic-learning/

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

Tags: