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Most states have now sought waivers from federal testing requirements, which the U.S. Department of Education quickly granted, but several holdouts still need grassroots pressure to lift this burden from students, parents and families  In addition, many states have not yet taken action to suspend their own testing mandates (e.g.

Pressure from grassroots activists and a bipartisan group of policymakers has forced President Trump and Education Secretary DeVos to allow states to suspend federal standardized exam requirements in the wake of the coronavirus. To protect public school children, educators and their families, state leaders must now be pressed to:
  1) Apply immediately for waivers of federal assessment mandates by filing a formal request with the U.S. Department of Education to be relieved of Every Student Succeeds Act testing obligations; AND

Pressure from grassroots activists and a bipartisan group of policymakers has forced President Trump and Education Secretary DeVos to allow states to suspend federal standardized exam requirements in the wake of the coronavirus. But to completely eliminate Spring 2020 testing, state leaders must
  1) file formal requests with the U.S. Department of Education to be relieved of Every Student Succeeds Act testing mandates for this year, and
  2) lift all requirements for state-required testing by legislative action to amend state laws or by executive order

Response to the coronavirus pandemic dominates this week's testing news, just as it does for other major activities.  As this collection of articles makes clear, there's no excuse for compelling children to sit for standardized exams in this risky environment.

With the spring 2020 public school testing season on the horizon, more parents, educators, and community organizers are considering opting out from standardized exams as a tactic to advance assessment reform.  Be sure to check out FairTest's resources on this topic:

Though many states are cutting back on standardized exam overkill, there are still frequent reports of test cheating, inappropriate high-stakes, and narrowed curriculum, along with stressed out kids (and educators). It's time for K-12 policymakers to replace failed requirements with better forms of assessment just as their higher education colleagues are doing with ACT/SAT-optional undergraduate policies and GRExit graduate admissions.

National Three Seasons of the School Year: Learning, Test Prep, Testing

Cutbacks in the number of standardized tests . . . elimination of high-stakes exam requirements . . .  implementation of performance assessments  -- across the U.S., assessment reformers are winning major policy victories and promoting alternatives that advance better teaching and learning.

Colorado Students Take Advantage of Multiple Pathways to High School Graduation

Anyone who believes that test-and-punish policies are primarily about "reforming" education, not a mix of politics and ideology, should read this week's news clips.  In the K-12 arena, many assessment requirements are faith-based, rather than evidence-driven.  Fortunately, colleges and universities, where data and mission still guide decisions, continue to lead the way beyond reliance on standardized exam scores.

Arizona Governor's Inaccurate Statements About Test Scores Advance Ideological Agenda

Growing grassroots assessment reform pressure is forcing policy makers in many states to review -- and in many cases roll back -- high-stakes testing requirements.  Top priorities include eliminating graduation exam mandates, de-linking teacher evaluations from student scores, and overhauling test-based school grading systems.  Watch this space for announcements of more victories!

Florida Solving the Standardized Testing Conundrum

As grassroots pressure forces more and more policy makers to recognize the failure of test-driven "school reform," there's a sharp uptick in the number of jurisdictions rolling back standardized exam requirements.  Parents, educators, and other activists need to keep the heat on their elected representative to eliminate test overuse and misuse.

National The "Education Reform" Movement Has Failed America