About FairTest

For Information on FairTest's Staff and Board Click Here

The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) advances quality education and equal opportunity by promoting fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial evaluations of students, teachers and schools. FairTest also works to end the misuses and flaws of testing practices that impede those goals.

We place special emphasis on eliminating the racial, class, gender, and cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized tests, and preventing their damage to the quality of education. Based on Goals and Principles, we provide information, technical assistance and advocacy on a broad range of testing concerns, focusing on three areas:  K-12, university admissions, and employment tests.

FairTest publishes a regular electronic newsletter, The Examiner, plus a full catalog of materials on both K- 12 and university testing to aid teachers, administrators, students, parents and researchers. See our order form on this Web site!  FairTest also has numerous fact sheets available to educate you on standardized testing and alternative assessment.

FairTest's current projects include the following:

• The Assessment Reform Network, aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among teachers, parents, education reform and civil rights organizations seeking to improve student assessment practices in their communities.
• Creating a new framework for assessment through dissemination of Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems
• Uncovering the bias, misuses and coach ability of the SAT, ACT and similar college entrance exams
• Stopping the misuses of SAT/ACT scores to determine eligibility for college financial aid such as National Collegiate Athletic Association's initial eligibility rules (Propositions 48 and 16) and the National Merit Scholarship Competition
• Promoting test score-optional policies for college admissions
• Attacking the false notions that test scores equal merit
• Monitoring the unregulated and highly profitable testing industry, particularly its rush to computerized testing, by "Examining the Examiners"
• Exposing flawed employment tests, such as the National Teacher's Exam (NTE), and advocating hiring and promotions systems based on genuine performance
• The Summer 2006 Issue of the quarterly National Crosstalk features a lengthy cover profile of FairTest titled, "A Contrarian View of the Testing Industry," which accurately describes FairTest's situation.
  

FairTest is funded by grants from the Bay and Paul Foundation, Ford Foundation, Polk Brothers Foundation, Schott Foundation, United Church of Christ, Wiener Educational Foundation, Woods Fund of Chicago, and many individual donors. Please help FairTest continue its work by offering your support.

For Information on FairTest's Staff and Board Click Here

Please contact FairTest with your questions or comments at:

15 Court Square, Suite 820
Boston, MA 02108
(857) 350-8207
FAX (617) 497-2224

Note: Due to overwhelming amounts of junk email Fairtest can no longer guarantee timely response to emails. Please call FairTest directly with any questions or requests for information at (857) 350-8207.