Grade retention and diploma denials are among the worst politically motivated misuses of standardized tests. That’s why assessment reform activists have made repealing these counter-productive policies a top priority. Check out these FairTest fact sheets for ammunition to use in your local campaigns.
Grade Retention: https://fairtest.org.org/arn/retenfct.htm
Graduation Tests: https://www.fairtest.org/graduation-test-update-states-recently-eliminated
Please help FairTest maintain the capacity to continue producing heavily used resources like these by making your most generous possible donation today (https://www.fairtest.org/donate):
National The New Testing Landscape: State Assessments Under ESSA
https://www.future-ed.org/the-new-testing-landscape-state-assessments-under-essa
California Fight to Preserve Multiple Measures for School Accountability
https://edsource.org/2019/pressure-to-rank-california-schools-with-single-score-persist-despite-recent-reforms/616767
Florida School Board Member Says Using Test Scores to Hold Children Back in Third Grade Is Child Abuse
https://billytownsend.com/2019/09/the-data-says-3rd-grade-retention-is-academic-fraud-basic-humanity-says-its-barbaric-child-abuse/
Indiana State Officials Delay School Grade Release After New Test Score Decline
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2019/09/04/indiana-education-officials-delay-release-of-a-f-grades-amid-poor-ilearn-scores/
Indiana Don’t Use Test Scores to Label Teachers and Schools
https://www.news-sentinel.com/opinion/2019/09/02/news-sentinel-editorial-use-test-scores-to-improve-not-label-teachers-and-schools/
Maryland Changing Curriculum Won’t Close Score Gaps
https://robertslavinsblog.wordpress.com/2019/09/05/the-gap/
Maryland Poorly Written Questions May Depress Test Scores
https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0910-parcc-problem-20190909-m6e6d7uukjbdxdnfnt5ipgvcae-story.html
Massachusetts School Funding Focus Should Be on Fairness, Not Test Scores
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2019/09/08/working-formula-for-funding-mass-schools/eProXbsTRpq1NbirMPfASN/story.html
Michigan Flunking Kids with Low Test Scores Won’t Teach Them to Read; Teachers Have Better Ideas
https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigan-teachers-flunking-wont-help-kids-read-we-have-better-ideas
Michigan What the State Gets Wrong About Standardized Testing
https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/nancy-kaffer/2019/09/07/standardized-testing-michigan/2209047001/
New Jersey Plan to Phase Out PARCC Test
https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20190906/parcc-to-be-eliminated-by-2022-23-school-year
New York Policy-Makers Set Timetable for Reviewing Test Overhaul Options
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/regents-diploma-schools-1.35626627
New York Opt-Out Movement Remains Strong
https://www.nysape.org/nysape-pr-opt-remains-strong.html
New York Should a Single Test Determine a Child’s Educational Future
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/nyregion/nyc-gifted-talented-test.html
North Carolina Board Reduces Weight of End-of-Course Exams in Student Grades
https://www.the-dispatch.com/news/20190903/school-board-changes-grading-policies
North Carolina Strong Correlation Between School Grades and Students’ Family Incomes
https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2019/09/10/nc-performance-grades-correlate-income-and-achievement-gap/2220825001/
Ohio Exit Exam Alternatives Will Boost High School Graduation Rates
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/09/graduation-rates-and-grades-may-rise-on-ohios-state-report-cards-but-are-gains-real.html
Oregon Test Pressure One Cause of Increase in Teen Mental Health Problems Including Suicide
https://www.oregonlive.com/health/2019/09/in-oregon-academic-pressures-existential-fears-help-explain-rising-rates-of-suicide-mental-health-conditions.html
Texas Schools Test Community Based Accountability as Alternative to Exam-Driven Assessment
https://communityimpact.com/houston/sugar-land-missouri-city/education/2019/09/03/fort-bend-isd-schools-test-new-community-based-accountability-system-in-2019-20/
University Admissions Hendrix College in Arkansas Goes ACT/SAT-Optional — 45th School to Drop Testing Requirement in Past Year
https://www.hendrix.edu/news/news.aspx?id=90099
Worth Reading Test-Based “Accountability” Is Destroying the Teaching Profession
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2019/08/12/op-ed-how-to-stop-the-teacher-exodus/
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 mobile- (239) 699-0468
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