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It's time to examine the examiners! 

With each passing week, more policymakers are questioning the value of federal and state student testing mandates. Since high-stakes testing regimes have failed to improve academic performance significantly or to narrow historic gaps between demographic groups -- proponents' two major promises -- a growing number of voters are pressing their elected representatives for reasons to continue down the same, non-productive path (besides the knee-jerk "Because . . . testing" non-answer)

Arizona COVID-19 Impact Reflected in Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores from spring 2021 continue to trickle out. So far, however, there's little evidence that the results are being used to addressed the pandemic's fully-expected impact, as testing advocates had promised.  Rhetoric abounds, but it's hard to find concrete examples of states, districts or schools targeting resources to the neediest students or making other significant educational policy changes.

for further information, contact:                      

Bob Schaeffer(239) 395-6773                                         

Earlier this year, many readers of this newsletter endorsed the "National Call to Suspend High-Stakes Testing in Spring 2021." Among the arguments made in that statement: "[T]he results won't be valid, reliable or useful. We don't need test scores to know that low-income children in poorly resourced school have fallen even further behind in a pandemic.” and “The time and resources required to test students this year would be better spent educating and supporting them.”  

"Warning" signs abound as more states release scores from spring 2021, pandemic-influenced annual exams.

More states are reporting spring 2021 standardized exam scores with totally predictable results.  But there's little concrete evidence that the data is being used to improve educational quality and equity in public school classrooms.  So far, the exercise seems little more than another example of "testing for the sake of testing." 

National Schools Should Not Obsess Over Pandemic "Learning Loss"

As classrooms reopen for the fall with debates over face masks and other COVID protection policies, some states remain fixated on standardized test results, not the health and safety of students, educators and school support personnel.  To the surprise of no one, exam performance declined last spring in the midst of a pandemic.

A new school year starts this week with classrooms opening in several states, particularly in the south.

Is meaningful testing reform really possible in the current environment?  Check out this recent news story to see an example of what your support of FairTest has accomplished