Testing Resistance & Reform News July 27 - August 2, 2016

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