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For nearly two decades, proponents of test-and-punish policies have claimed that their strategies would lead to gains in overall academic performance and a narrowing of historic score gaps. But according to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores released today, no such trend has taken place. In fact, data support the opposite conclusion: NAEP score gains and achievement gap closing both have stagnated during the era that began with signing of the No Child Left Behind law in 2002. SAT and ACT results show a similar pattern.

April is the peak month for test-obsessed classrooms in many parts of the country -- simultaneously the opt-out movement and legislative assessment reform proposals are surging, as this week's rich collection of news clips demonstrates.

Entering the peak weeks of school testing season, pressure from students, educators and community leaders for genuine assessment reform is accelerating as more people recognize how much classroom learning time is undermined by standardized exam overkill. 

This week's wave of stories highlights the growing recognition that standardized exam scores are a poor way to measure progress of students, teachers or schools. That's a major reason why the assessment reform movement is rapidly expanding across the country.

Arkansas Even School "Reformers" Doubt Value of Test Scores as Measure of Success
https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/03/19/stop-the-press...

This week's news stories -- from a third of all U.S. states and around the world -- shows the growing impact of grassroots organizing to replace high-stakes exams with better types of assessments. Policy-makers are clearly beginning to heed the "Less Testing, More Learning" message:  

With annual school exam season underway in several states, the opt-out movement is rapidly accelerating.  Here's a new FairTest guide to why you can boycott standardized tests without fear of federal penalties:
http://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fear

California School Board Questions Bill Allowing ACT/SAT as State High School Test
https://www.easyreadernews.com/rbusd-wary-standardized-test-bi/

Delaware Students Deserve More Than a Label Determined by Test Scores

With state testing season beginning in some states as soon as next week, FairTest is pleased to offer freshly updated, free fact sheets on how to opt-out.  Please circulate widely!

Defenders of test-and-punish policies who claim that assessment reform is limited to progressive coastal states should read this week's stories from places such as Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah. The push back against standardized exam overuse and misuse is truly an expanding nationwide movement.

Florida Testing Doesn't Effectively Measure Intelligence or Achievement
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2018/02/14/opinion-testing-does...

The 2018 school testing season is already on the horizon.  That means more local organizing against standardized exam overkill leading to heightened attention by policy-makers to assessment reform.  As always, the more grassroots pressure, the better the prospects for meaningful change.

With stories about assessment reform appearing in fully one-third of all U.S. states over just the past week, it is clear that the movement to eliminate standardized exam misuse and overuse continues to accelerate across the country.

Alabama District Criticizes State's School Report Card
http://whnt.com/2018/02/01/athens-city-schools-system-releases-statement...

California Parents Applaud Multi-Measures School Performance "Dashboard"