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What's wrong with current high-stakes testing policies? Check out this week's clips to see some of the damage to educational quality and equity from standardized exam overuse and misuse.  There's also very good news with the University of Chicago, one of the nation's most selective schools, adopting a test-optional admissions policy.

National Why Test Blindly?  Secrecy Supports Exam Industry, Not Education
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/06/testing-blind.html

What a week!  The University of Chicago drops ACT/SAT admissions testing requirements; Seattle teachers endorse a moratorium on standardized exams; and many state continue to rollback testing overkill.  Momentum for meaningful assessment reform is clearly building.

California Hot Classrooms From Climate Change Could Set Schools Up to Fail
https://earther.com/climate-change-could-set-kids-up-to-fail-1826637932

Illinois Chicago Teachers Negotiate Right to Block Tests That Are Not Mandated by State or Feds

With the academic year wrapping up across the U.S., education news coverage is turning to the many negative impacts of excessive testing requirements on students, teachers, schools and communities.  This fall's state and local elections can help define a new framework for assessment policy making 

The human impact from high-stakes standardized exams has often been ignored by mainstream media.  Not this week!  Check out the stories highlighting the real harm done to children, their families and educators by testing overkill.

The growing impact of the assessment reform movement is clear in this week's clips, many of which reflect a critical perspective on test overuse and misuse. This fall's elections will play a major role in determining whether new public officials will roll back standardized exam overkill or if the same old officials will continue discredited test-and-punish policies.

Arizona Why Is "D" Rated School Shamed Instead of Helped

The message from parents, students, educators and community leaders could not be clearer: the path to educational progress requires reducing testing and eliminating high stakes.  Policy-makers in many jurisdictions are starting to listen and implement real assessment reforms.  Keep the pressure on!

Florida Kindergarten "Readiness" Testing Is Part of War on Youngest Children
http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/05/fl-continuing-war-on-littles....
Florida Increase in Exit Exam Alternative Cut Scores Could Reduce Graduation Rate

The rich array of stories in this week's news clips -- online, in print, via video and audio -- reported from a third of U.S. states and around the world demonstrate the breadth, depth and impact of the assessment reform movement.

California Student Academic Performance Improved After State Backed Away From "Test-and-Punish"
https://edsource.org/2018/a-closer-look-at-californias-impressive-educat...

Colorado Feds Finally Approve State ESSA Plan After Language Changes Regarding Opt Outs

We hope you find these weekly news summaries useful in advancing your important work. You can help support the assessment reform movement financially by making a contribution at: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fairtest or clicking:

It's peak testing season, with many problems regarding standardized exams -- both how they are administered and, more importantly, how their results are (mis)used -- reported around the country.  Fortunately, a growing movement of parents, students, educators and community leaders is pushing back: visits to FairTest's Opt-Out Guide (

In addition to lots of other testing news, several states that contract with Questar, a for-profit subsidiary of the Educational Testing Service, recently experienced significant disruptions of their computerized standardized exams.  In three -- New York, Ohio and Tennessee -- the entire assessment system crashed. The latest failures add to the evidence that corporate and ideological forces rushed these technologies into the marketplace before they were ready for prime time.  See FairTest's chronology of computer testing problems at: