Testing Resistance & Reform News: July 23 - 29, 2014

As summer winds down toward back-to-school season, there is ever more media coverage of the growing testing resistance and reform movement. At the same time, a pattern of reaction is emerging from the "stay the course" and "(testing) business as usual" camp. Though policy-makers in a few states have rolled back standardized exam requirements, many politicians are embracing study commissions, delaying consequences from new Common Core assessments, promising vague initiatives in the future, and otherwise dragging their feed to stall necessary changes

That may buy a little time, but it will not stop the increasing pressure for a full-fledged moratorium on high-stakes tests from FairTest and its many allies. 

Report Card on Standardized Tests: New York Times Letter to the Editor
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/28/opinion/A-Report-Card-on-Standardized-Tests.html

Moratorium on High-Stakes Testing Is Needed Now: Washington Post Letter to the Editor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/high-stakes-testing-not-common-core-is-the-problem/2014/07/28/6f1fbc68-143e-11e4-ac56-773e54a65906_story.html

Technical Problems and Boycotts Disrupted Connecticut Common Core Testing
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Stamford-s-Common-Core-testing-system-problematic-5645716.php

Michelle Rhee's PR Campaign to Cover-up Cheating in DC Schools
http://takingnote.learningmatters.tv/?p=7080

The Powerful Forces at Work Behind the Atlanta, Georgia Cheating Scandal
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/07/21/wrong-answer
Fact Sheet: "Tests, Cheating, and Educational Corruption" 
http://fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Cheating_Fact_Sheet_8-17-11.pdf

Florida School Grades Are a Sham: They Largely Measure Poverty
http://www.tampabay.com/news/romano-dunedin-elementary-situation-spotlights-the-problem-with-school/2189764

Indiana Educators Concerned About Rushed Implementation of Politically Mandated Test
http://www.jconline.com/story/news/education/2014/07/28/new-test/13262189/

Dueling Lawsuits Over Louisiana Common Core Exams
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2014/07/lawsuit_attacks_louisiana_governor.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS3

Concerns Raised About New Maryland Graduation Tests
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/blog/bs-md-high-school-tests-20140722,0,5461308.story

Michigan to Hold Public Hearing on Design of Future State Exams
http://www.freep.com/article/20140722/NEWS06/307220135/schools-tests-public-comment

Nebraska Cancels Scores From Writing Tests After Online Administration Problems
http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/problems-with-state-writing-test-prompts-education-officials-to-toss/article_495b9435-5cf7-5f0b-b109-6ce49c5aba67.html

Save Our Schools New Jersey Criticizes Gov Christie's Testing Policies
http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/wayne-residents-officials-oppose-gov-christie-s-common-core-order-1.1055156
New Poll: Overwhelming Majority of New Jersey Residents Oppose Punishing Teachers for Student Test Scores 
http://nj1015.com/should-nj-teachers-be-judged-by-scores/

New York Common Core Supporters Call New Tests a "Travesty"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/24/teachers-new-ny-common-core-tests-were-a-travesty/
NY Legislators Seek Two-Year Delay of Controversial edPTA Teacher Licensing Test
http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/lawmakers-seek-delay-on-teacher-certification-test-1.8885735

Web Site Resources Support Ohio Assessment Reform Movement
http://teacher-advocate.com/

Oklahoma District Challenges Odd State Writing Test Scores
http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/jenks-says-state-test-scores-are-flawed/ngmM7/

Oregon Districts Support Delay in Using Common Core Tests for Teacher Evaluation
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Portland-Public-Schools-Common-Core-vote-on-teacher-accountability-tonight-268200482.html

Texas Delays Roll Out of New Teacher Evaluations
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/07/23/texas-delays-roll-out-new-teacher-evaluations/

Washington State Stands Up to Duncan's NCLB Blackmail
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20140727/NEWS03/140729272/State-stands-alone-on-U.S.-education-law

New NEA President Takes on Testing Madness
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/07/27/1316368/-National-Education-Association-s-Lily-Eskelsen-Garcia-on-teaching-testing-and-fighting-back?#

David Berliner Responds to Economists Who Discount Role of Child Poverty on Educational Performance
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/07/29/david-berliner-responds-to-economists-who-discount-role-of-child-poverty/

Strange Bedfellows: Glenn Beck Urges Followers to Boycott Common Core Tests
http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/23/glenn-becks-anti-common-core-crusade-seeks-test-boycott/
Cultural Conservative Author Identifies "Rotten Core" of Common Core Testing
http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/24/bad-apple-for-teachers-the-rotten-center-of-common-core-testing/
see FairTest's "Common Core Assessments: Myths and Facts" 
http://www.fairtest.org/common-core-assessments-factsheet

Bryn Mawr Joins Growing List of Test-Optional Colleges
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140725_Bryn_Mawr_to_drop_SAT_requirement_for_admission.html
 

Moving Away From SATs -- A Message for K-12 Education
http://www.theintell.com/opinion/editorial/moving-away-from-the-sats/article_5e5c011c-9f63-5632-a4b2-369352b67b95.html
 

FairTest's Directory of 800+ Test-Optional and Test-Flexible Institutions
http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional

Five Finnish Educational Innovates That U.S."Reformers" Ignore
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/25/five-u-s-innovations-that-helped-finlands-schools-improve-but-that-american-reformers-now-ignore/