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/
1,685+ Accredited, 4-Year Colleges & Universities with ACT/SAT-Optional Testing Policies for Fall, 2021 Admissions