Testing Resistance & Reform News July 27 - August 2, 2016
Believe it or not, summer vacation is already over for students in several states. For example, the public school year began across Oklahoma and in Indianapolis on August 1. Many Florida districts re-open next week. With the start of classes, controversies over testing policies accelerate. At the same time, scores from last year's exams and opt-out statistics are being released. The result is a spate of assessment reform stories from more than a third of the 50 states.
National Presentations, Projects and Portfolios Can Take Place of Tests
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-07-27/presentations-projects-and-portfolios-take-place-of-tests-for-some-students
National Ed. Secretary John King Still Loves Standardized Tests
http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/07/30/common-core-john-king-still-loves-tests/87711858/
Alaska New Law Allows Parents to Opt Kids Out of Tests
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2016/07/new-law-alaska-to-allow-parents-to-opt-kids-out-of-common-core-testing/
Arizona Teachers Tell State Super Stop Changing Standards and Tests
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2016/jul/26/state-schools-superintendent-gets-payson-earful/
California Final Stage of New Accountability System Design
https://edsource.org/2016/as-deadline-looms-california-struggles-to-finalize-new-school-accountability-system/567372
California State and Federal Accountability Systems Could Clash
https://edsource.org/2016/proposed-federal-state-accountability-systems-could-again-clash-essa-nclb/567665
Florida The Case Against High-Stakes Testing
http://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/family/2016/07/26/making-case-against-high-stakes-testing/87567698/
Florida How Standardized Exam Over-Emphasis Caused One 9-Year-Old to Try to Hang Himself
http://www.alternet.org/education/perils-standardized-tests
Florida Administrators Push to Replace State's Standardized Exams
http://www.wftv.com/news/local/school-administrators-push-to-replace-the-florida-standards-assessment-exam/412812071
Georgia Are Young Children Over-Tested
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2016/08/01/do-georgias-new-milestones-tests-demand-too-much-of-younger-students/
Illinois High School PARCC Exam Won't Be Missed
http://www.qconline.com/editorials/editorial-high-school-parcc-exam-won-t-be-missed-in/article_ab2fb29d-8935-582f-a142-98642013bd75.html
Indiana Common Sense Testing Changes Backed by Superintendent
http://www.tribstar.com/opinion/flashpoint/flashpoint-bringing-common-sense-testing-change-to-indiana/article_ec9a8a37-8d57-5f09-9de1-50efc2a42e77.html
Indiana Flawed Test Is Political Football
http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/opinion/our_opinion/our-opinion-istep-panel-failing-hoosier-students/article_697cac21-bd6a-5a04-8636-292f359822fe.html
Massachusetts Education Officials Hear Ideas for New School Accountability Plans
http://bridgewater.wickedlocal.com/news/20160726/education-officials-hear-ideas-for-new-school-accountability-plan
Minnesota Number of Students Opting Out of Tests Soars
http://www.startribune.com/more-and-more-minnesota-students-are-opting-out-of-standardized-tests/388582582/
Minnesota Teachers Say Test Scores Provide Little Useful Information
http://www.fox9.com/news/182619302-story
Montana Schools Explore New Ways to Measure Progress in Post-NCLB Era
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/education/bozeman-seeks-new-ways-to-measure-schools-progress/article_8ed71ceb-20d0-502f-81ba-a06d6a5b2784.html
New Jersey Can Common Core Reading Tests Ever Be Fair?
http://hechingerreport.org/can-common-core-reading-tests-ever-fair/
New Mexico Supers Slam School Grading System
http://www.ruidosonews.com/story/news/education/2016/07/28/four-superintendents-slam-school-grade-system/87669582/
New York Statewide Opt-Out Totals Continue to Grow
http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/new-york/2016/07/29/new-york-test-scores-opt-out/87742584/
New York Don't Compromise Opt-Out Rights
http://www.uticaod.com/opinion/20160722/our-view-dont-compromise-opt-out-rights
New York Frequent changes in State Assessments Create More Problems
http://www.nystoptesting.com/2016/07/frequent-changes-in-state-assessments_31.html
North Dakota Assessment Task Force Reviews State-Mandated Tests
http://bismarcktribune.com/assessment-task-force-examines-state-mandated-testing/article_d7ed46e8-649a-57e0-9d0d-1d210ad23883.html
North Dakota Districts Review Needs for Added Exams
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/education/not-less-testing-better-testing-in-nd-schools/article_57e89446-e470-5972-b1fa-00f86f7e39c4.html
Ohio Hearings Seek Public Input on New Plans for Testing and Accountability
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/07/as_no_child_left_behind_is_tos.html
Oklahoma Fewer Tests and New Standards, as Students Return to School
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-students-will-have-new-academic-standards-fewer-tests-this-year/article/5511791
South Dakota State Criticize Draft Federal Education Law Regulations
http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/education/2016/07/28/state-raise-concerns-federal-education-rules/87655994/
Texas State Commission Recommends Testing Overhaul
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/state-commission-likely-to-recommend-replacing-sta/nr5hs/
Texas Questions Loom Over Need for STAAR Test
http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/182209594-story
Texas Teachers Say Don't Replace STAAR With Another High-Stakes Test
http://therecordlive.com/2016/07/28/tsta-dont-replace-staar-with-another-high-stakes-test/
Virginia High School Graduate Profile Will De-Emphasize Test Scores
http://www.fredericksburg.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-virginia-prepares-profile-of-a-graduate/article_846adabc-77dc-59c9-b2ff-5877449fb913.html
ACT/SAT Carthage College Adopts Test-Optional Admissions
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/07/28/carthage-goes-test-optional-admissions
Worth Reading Ch*ckensh*t Education
https://themerrowreport.com/2016/07/25/chckenshit-education/
Worth Reading How Young Children Really Learn
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/opinion/sunday/what-babies-know-about-physics-and-foreign-languages.html
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