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ESEA Reauthorization and Ending the “School-to-Prison” Pipeline: A Congressional Briefing

Sponsored by U.S. Senator Bernard Sanders

Friday, June 24, 2011, 11:00 – 12:00

Senate Dirksen Room 562

Recording of May 9 Webinar of FEA recommendations for ESEA reauthorization, with Monty Neill on assessment, Gary Ratner on accountability, Reggie Felton on school improvement, and Molly Hunter on opportunity to learn.

FairTest has written a detailed analysis of NAEP trends conclusively showing that the rate of progress on NAEP has slowed or stagnated for most all groups in both reading and math and all grades tested on both the NAEP Long-term trend and NAEP Main tests. This shows NCLB has not produced improved learning outcomes. See the report here.

Student Test Scores: An Inaccurate Way to Judge Teachers (PDF)

Poll on NCLB: Americans Want a Useful Overhaul of Education Policy" by Monty Neill was published the March/April 2011 issue of Social Studies and the Young Learner.

FairTest and five other organizations have issued a paper, Federal Policy, ESEA and the School to Prison Pipeline. It looks at testing, school climate and 'zero tolerance' discipline policies as causes of the Pipeline, and makes recommendations on assessment, accountability, discipline and student re-entry to schools.

FairTest urges President Obama to use State of the Union address to
overhaul education policy, rely on research and evidence, not ideology,
cut mandated testing and improve assessment. See the full news release.

“A Better Way to Evaluate Schools” outlines a 3-part school evaluation system – school quality reviews, limited standardized testing, plus school-based and local evidence.

June 17, 2010

Friday's New York Times gives FairTest the lead reaction quote in a story about how high-stakes testing pressures cause some educators to cheat on standardized tests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/education/11cheat.html?src=mv

The article, (also posted on the nytimes.com home page), includes a link to our website, which has already generated dozens of visitor referrals.  This is the fifth or sixth time the nation's leading newspaper has quoted FairTest this year.