resistance

The 2014 round of standardized exam administration got underway in several states this week. As predicted by FairTest and our Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS) allies, opt-out campaigns and other forms of protest exploded in many communities. In just the past three days, we've seen so many great news clips that we could not wait until our normal Tuesday distribution date to circulate them nationally. 

Anyone who still believes that the resistance to testing misuse and overuse is confined to a few big cities and "liberal" activists, should click through this week's news clips. In fact, testing protests are spreading across "deep red" states" such as Alaska, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. And "conservative" commentators are speaking out against standardized exam overkill.

Last weekend's Network for Public Education conference in Austin provided another boost for the growing power of campaigns to overhaul school testing policies -- many plenaries and workshops addressed assessment issues.  This week's large batch of clips shows the breadth and depth of the movement. 

The Rising Tide of Opt Outs
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/03/opting_out_of_testing.html

The U.S. can do a much better job evaluating children, teachers and schools. That's why protests against standardized testing misuse and overuse are exploding across the nation. Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS) seeks to ensure that assessment contributes to all students having access to a high-quality education. FairTest is a founding partner. Our alliance unites around three goals:

Organizing: Strategic Resources, Reports, Analyses 

This page includes FairTest discussions of testing reform organizing and links to supporting materials on high-stakes testing and authentic assessment.

Community meetings or town halls are a great way to educate, network and organize around testing issues. Panels of speakers can inform the community about high-stakes testing and its consequences and inspire people to take action. Forums also provide opportunities to promote authentic assessment and related school reforms. Organizers can identify and collect contact information of people willing to participate in further campaigns and actions.  

The movement to replace high-stakes standardized exams with better forms of assessment picks up even more steam with huge protest events, growing opt-out campaigns, and ever more evidence that test-and-punish status quo "reform" policies are an abject failure.

Chicago Educators Launch "Let Us Teach" Campaign Against Standardized Testing
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/23598511-418/chicago-teachers-union-u...
Time to Dump Standardized Tests

• For more complete information on each of these (and other) points see our full FairTest Fact Sheet: Common Core Assessment Myths and Realities: Moratorium Needed From More Tests, Costs, Stress

for further information:
Dr. Monty Neill  (617) 477-9792                                                                 
Bob Schaeffer   (239) 395-6773

FairTest's newsblasts are designed to help keep activists and journalists up to date about the status of the testing resistance and reform movement while also providing resources and models for effective organizing.  Please let us know the email addresses of any colleagues who would benefit from these weekly updates.

New Gallup Poll Shows Americans "Fed Up" With Testing Overkill
http://fairtest.org/fairtest-press-release-new-poll-shows-americans-fe