Testing Resistance & Reform News: May 23 - 29, 2013

The pushback against high-stakes testing continues to score significant victories across the nation.  More and more state legislatures, school boards, parents, teachers, administrators and students now agree, "Enough is Enough!" 

Each week thousands of activists rely on FairTest resources (http://www.fairtest.org, click on "Get Involved") as well as these news updates for their local campaigns.  Please help us support the growing movement for real assessment reform by donating whatever you can at: http://tinyurl.com/TestingResistance

Here are this week's top stories:

Enough! Facing Backlash, From Parents, Texas Cuts Back Standardized Testing
     http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/27/18534023-enough-facing-backlash-from-parents-texas-cuts-back-on-student-testing?lite

What's in Texas' $500 Million Contract with Pearson
     http://kutnews.org/post/what-s-texas-500-million-testing-contract-pearson

Exit Exams May Be on Way Out
     http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/22/exit-exams-high-school-diploma/2351009/

Why Schools Should Stop Using Exit Exams
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/28/why-schools-should-stop-using-exit-exams/

Providence Mayor Opposes State Grad Test Requirement
     http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/mcgowan/taveras-opposes-necap-grad-requirement

Fort Wayne Schools Reject State Test Result, Call for Review of Assessment Policies
     http://www.fortwayne.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130523/NEWS/320126372

Indiana Legislature Will Investigate Failure of Computerized Testing System
     http://www.nipr.fm/post/state-committee-will-investigate-istep-issues

New York Principals Criticize New Common Core Tests
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/23/ny-principals-why-new-common-core-tests-failed/

Parents React to Pearson's "Field Tests"
     http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130525/CITYANDREGION/130529399/1002

Field Tests Raise Concern That School Exams Are Now a Corporate Product
     http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130525/CITYANDREGION/130529399/1002

"No to Field Testing, Yes to Learning" Organizing Kit
     http://changethestakes.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/say-yes-to-learning-and-no-to-field-testing/

Pay Kids to Take "Field Tests"  -- NYTimes Letter-to-the-Editor
     http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/opinion/pay-kids-to-take-tests.html

Parents' Civil Rights Complaint Challenges NYC High School Admissions Test for Racial Bias
     http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/suit-high-school-admissions-racially-biased-article-1.1348628

Advocates Protest $66 Million Tax Break for Pearson Testing Company
     http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2013/05/demonstration_in_hoboken_plann.html

New North Carolina Exams Test Teachers in More Ways Than One
     http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/25/4063937/new-nc-exams-test-teachers-in.html

How Has High-Stakes Testing Affected South Carolina Children?
     http://www.cvedu2020.org/what-is-high-stakes-testing-and-how-does-it-affect-your-child/

Award Winning Virginia Teacher Says "I Can No Longer Cooperate with Testing Regime"
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/26/award-winning-virginia-teacher-i-can-no-longer-cooperate-with-testing-regime/

Virginia Father Learns How to Opt Son out of State Standardized Testing
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/prince-william-father-learns-how-to-opt-out-of-standardized-test/2013/05/26/8af0165c-c310-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html

Virginia Online Tests Disrupted by Internet Problems
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-county-online-standards-tests-hampered-by-internet-problems/2013/05/23/74d0c440-c412-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7_allComments.html

On Teacher Evaluation: Slow Down and Get it Right
     http://shankerblog.org/?p=8358

Teacher "Accountability" -- A Telling Animation
     http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2013/05/teacher-accountability-video.html

What Candidate Obama Said About Standardized Testing in 2008
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/27/what-obama-said-back-then-about-standardized-tests/

Assessment That Supports Learning and Teaching: A Short Video on the Mission Hill School
     http://www.fairtest.org/assessment-supports-education-short-video-mission

Calling Out the Testing Bullies
     http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2013/05/calling_out_the_testing_bullies.html