Testing Reform in the News: January 10 - 16, 2013

As we move closer to the annual high-stakes exam season, ever more articles highlight the growing nationwide resistance to test misuse and overuse.

Be sure to start by "testing" your knowledge about current assessment reform developments. Don't worry; our quiz is not high stakes!

Pop Quiz on Standardized Testing
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/16/pop-quiz-on-standardized-testing/

Teachers at Seattle School Boycott Standardized Tests -- Reuters News Service global wire story
  http://news.yahoo.com/teachers-seattle-school-boycott-standardized-test-022855633--finance.html

Why I Won't Give Students High-Stakes Standardized Tests
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/14/teacher-why-i-wont-give-students-high-stakes-standardized-test/

FairTest Statement on Seattle Test Boycott
  http://www.fairtest.org/fairtest-statement-of-support-for-seattle-test-boycott

Standardized Testing Revolt in Texas -- Parents Take the Lead
  http://prospect.org/article/standardized-testing-revolt
  http://www.chron.com/fortbend/news/article/Parents-group-brings-concerns-about-too-many-4176358.php

Texas House Budget Eliminates Funding for State Testing Program
  http://www.kwtx.com/centraltexasvotes/home/headlines/Texas-House-Budget-Defunds-STAAR-Test-But-That-Could-Be-A-Problem-186973291.html

Students Need More than Michele Rhee's Education "Reforms"  -- the author is a new member of FairTest's Board of Directors
  http://www.good.is/posts/students-need-more-than-michelle-rhee-s-education-reforms/

View From the Classroom: Testing is Out of Control
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gregory-michie/standardized-testing_b_2468532.html

The Fallacy of Test-Driven School "Reform"
  http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-17359-the-fallacy-of-test-driven-school-reform.html

Over-Testing and Test Misuse Undermine Academic Freedom
  http://pressrepublican.com/0200_opinion/x1525005336/In-My-Opinion-Impact-of-testing-on-academic-freedom

Teachers Need Freedom to Use Multiple Approaches
  http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013301130039&gcheck=1

Why Not Ask Teachers How to Improve Schools?
  http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/15/1179264/-Why-Not-Ask-Teachers-How-They-Would-Improve-Our-Schools#

Waving the Flag for Formative Assessment
  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/09/15popham.h32.html

Test-Driven Education "Reform" Movement Has Been a Costly Failure
  http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130113/OPINION/130119923/1074

High-Stakes Testing is Not the Answer
  http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/jan/15/high-stakes-testing-is-not-the-answer/

Astroturf Activism: Who Is Behind "Students for Education Reform"?
  http://www.thenation.com/blog/172174/astroturf-activism-who-behind-students-education-reform#