Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 7 – 13, 2020

Across the U.S., a strong movement is building among parents, teachers, school leaders and community activists to win an extension of standardized exam waivers at least through Spring 2021 and to press for a more extensive overhaul of testing requirements. The last few weeks leading up to November 3 are an excellent time to let elected officials know that their constituents want two decades of testing overuse and misuse to be replaced with better forms of assessment that actually help improve learning and teaching.

National State Ed Chiefs Considering Some Changes to Test-Based Accountability for Spring 2021
https://www.educationdive.com/news/states-ed-chiefs-rethinking-accountability-during-covid-19/586510/

California Top High School May Select Students Based on Lottery Rather Than Considering Test Scores
https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Elite-Lowell-High-School-admissions-would-become-15635273.php

Florida Concerns Grow Over COVID-19 Risks of Sitting for State-Mandated Standardized Tests
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/concerns-grow-over-in-person-state-testing-in-florida-schools-amid-covid-19

Georgia School Time Best Spent on Learning, Not Testing
https://www.augustachronicle.com/opinion/20201011/reader-letters-sunday-school-time-best-spent-on-learning

Indiana School Grades Don’t Mean Very Much
https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2020/10/07/indianas-school-f-letter-grades-2020-largely-meaningless/5911158002/

Massachusetts Local School Committee Unanimously Passes Resolution Endorsing High-Stakes Testing Moratorium
https://www.capenews.net/sandwich/news/sandwich-school-board-votes-to-reject-mcas-for-three-years/article_269bfcc4-2df8-5cf5-8055-d9043b7f8c49.html
Massachusetts Boston Plans to Scrap Exam School Admissions Test
https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/10/08/boston-scrap-exam

New Jersey High School Graduation Rate Soars After State Suspends Graduation Test
https://newark.chalkbeat.org/2020/9/25/21456818/newark-graduation-rate-2020

New York Renounce Plans for Administering Standardized Exams This Academic Year
https://www.educationviews.org/federal-mandated-high-stakes-testing-during-pandemic/

Ohio Schools Question Plan for In-Person Standardized Exams During Pandemic
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/education/2020/10/09/ohio-schools-question-state-requirement-third-grade-reading-guarantee-tests-online-learning/5936529002/

Pennsylvania Legislature’s Lower House Unanimously Passes Bill Challenging State and Federal Standardized Testing Requirements
https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2020/10/bill-challenges-standardized-testing/
Pennsylvania Selective High School Alums Push to Eliminate Test Score Cut Offs for Admission
https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2020/10/8/21508830/alumni-of-phillys-selective-masterman-school-call-for-admissions-changes-hite-floats-lottery-idea

Tennessee School Board Approves Testing Moratorium Resolution
https://heraldcourier.com/news/sullivan-school-board-to-rethink-virtual-learning-academy-teacher-pay/article_6f0e27a0-ad6c-5518-a84e-53b4a012fc3d.html

Virginia School Board Poised to End Admissions Exam for Selective High School
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-high-admissions-change/2020/10/07/0a1f8faa-08a7-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html
Virginia NAACP Calls for Eliminating Gifted-and-Talented Test as Step Toward Dismantling Systematic Racism
https://dcist.com/story/20/10/08/loudoun-naacp-provides-terms-for-conciliation-for-systemic-racism-in-county-schools/

International Canada Local School Board Calls for Suspension of 2021 Diploma Exam Requirements
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/edmonton-public-school-board-votes-to-suspend-diploma-exams-1.5135545

Worth Reading The Hoax of Standardized Testing
https://dianeravitch.net/2020/10/12/bob-shepherd-the-hoax-of-standardized-testing/

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

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