Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 1 - 7, 2014

Public schools are back in session after the holidays, and there's already lots of action across the county laying the groundwork for Assessment Reform Spring.  Note that today is the 12th anniversary of "No Child Left Untested" being signed into law by Pres. George Bush -- more than a decade of failed federal education policy is a major catalyst for the rising tide of protests.

Non-Waiver States Lament Consequences of "No Child Left Behind" Law
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/education-no-child-left-behind-eight-states-lament-98294.html
 

States Struggle to Comply with NCLB Waivers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/states-no-child-left-behind_n_4550203.html

NCLB at Twelve: Now What?
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2014/01/no_child_left_behind_turns_twe.html

Penn Education Leaders Protest Costly, High-Stakes Tests
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/keystone-exams-construction-two-hot-education-issues-for/article_b550127f-6d33-56de-ad3e-b7160228b52f.html

Massachusetts School Committees Criticize Common Core Pilot Testing
http://www.nashobapublishing.com/ci_24832546/north-middlesex-committee-concerned-about-pilot-testing

Kentucky Superintendent Presses for Project-Based Assessment to Replace Standardized Exams
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/01/02/3014998/danville-school-district-tries.html

Upstate New Yorkers Continue Protests Against Common Core Exams
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/education/protests-planned-to-get-governors-attention-on-education-reform-20140104

Long Island Parents and Educators Plan New Round of Testing Protests
http://merrick.patch.com/groups/schools/p/common-core-forum-in-merrick-draws-large-crowd

Common Core Backlash Casts Shadow Over Future North Carolina Testing
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/01/02/4584349/common-core-backlash-casts-shadow.html#.UsbTHYXWvAM

New Jersey Forum Discusses Alternatives to High-Stakes Testing
http://www.northjersey.com/news/238729181_Free_forum_in_Montclair_to_discuss_alternatives_to_standarized_testing.html

Nashville Teacher Block Adoption of Pearson Nonsense-Word Reading Assessment
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140102/NEWS/301020076

ACT Plans New Suite of "Common Core-Aligned" Tests
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/01/act_to_drop_plan_and_explore_t.html

Multiple Guilty Pleas in Atlanta School Test Cheating Case
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/more-guilty-pleas-today-in-aps-test-cheating-case/ncdL9/

DC Teachers Fired Due to "Value-Added" Programming Typo
http://www.care2.com/causes/d-c-teacher-fired-all-because-of-a-typo.html

"VAM is a Sham" Says Randi Weingarten
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2014/01/weingartens_retrenchment_on_va.html

Why Arne Duncan's PISA Comments Miss the Mark
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/01/08/15weintraub.h33.html

Forbes: Drop in U.S. International Test Scores May be Meaningless
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gyro/2014/01/06/could-falling-test-scores-be-a-good-thing-for-the-u-s/

Standardized Testing: The Musical
http://www.buffalonews.com/life-arts/next/standardized-testing-the-musical-20140102