resistance

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

for further information:
Bob Schaeffer  (239) 395-6773
                   cell  (239) 699-0468

for immediate release, Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Over the summer, there's been a sharp increase in investigative reports about the companies that make standardized exams, the fraudulent school grades derived from them, and the collateral damage from testing overkill. All of this will be valuable ammunition to escalate assessment reform campaigns when school resumes as soon as next week in some parts of the south and west.

How much more evidence do policy makers need before they recognize that test-and-punish policies have failed? Learning gains have stagnated, progress toward closing the "achievement gap" has stalled, and their constituents increasingly reject the strategy. Even some of their strongest newspaper editorial page allies -- including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times -- are saying that it is time to look at alternative approaches.  Enough is enough!

Major National Survey Finds Parents Strongly Oppose Standardized Testing Misuse and Overuse

See FairTest short report on grassroots testing resistance in 8 states/districts based on interviews with activists, The Spring 2013 Testing Reform Uprising.

We will post a more detailed report later this summer - so check back.

for further information:
Dr. Monty Neill    (617) 477-9792
or Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
                                       
for immediate release, Tuesday, June 4, 2013