There’s significant progress to report this week with legislatures in both Arizona and Texas passing proposals to reign in testing overkill. At the same time, assessment reform action is escalating in another dozen states. Keep the pressure on . . . and send us your best clips for circulation to allies around the nation.
Parents Agree: Standardized Tests Should Not Have This Much Power
http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/03/22/parents-agree-standardized-tests-should-not-have-power
High-Stakes Testing is the new “March Madness”
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_22859295/their-view-educational-testing-new-march-madness
Arizona House Votes to End Grad Test; Governor Likely to Sign Bill
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/education/precollegiate/b55341e0-51aa-5576-a1b2-5475fde4862c.html
Texas House Votes to Reduce High-Stakes Testing
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/heated-debate-in-texas-house-over-testing-graduati/nW4qF/
Moms Unite to Reign in Testing Overkill
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/25/4728178/texas-moms-unite-to-rein-in-states.html
Texas Leads Nation in Testing, Not Educational Quality
http://www.texastribune.org/2013/03/26/guest-column/
High-Stakes Testing is a “Perversion” Just As Commissioner Scott Said
http://www.caller.com/news/2013/mar/27/high-stakes-testing-is-a-perversion/
Oregon Students Launch Opt-Out Campaign as Super Admits State is “Crazy with Test Mania”
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/134462-student-launch-testing-opt-out-protest
Chicago Students and Teachers Mull a Testing Revolt
http://inthesetimes.com/uprising/entry/14769/pencils_down_teachers_and_students_mull_a_testing_revolt_in_chicago/
Orlando Florida Parents Group Launches Opt-Out Campaign
http://www.wogx.com/story/21763238/parents
Blind, Severely-Disabled Boy Forced to Take Florida Test
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/03/23/blind-severely-disabled-boy-forced-to-take-standardized-test/
North Carolina Students, Parents Join Diane Ravitch to Turn North Carolina Away From “Wrong Path” on Education
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/03/21/3928784/education-advocate-nc-on-the-wrong.html
Stop Hyper-Testing in N.C.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/03/19/3926360/stop-hyper-testing-in-nc.html
Upstate New Yorkers Organize Opt-Out Forum
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/wnyers-hold-forum-for-opt-out-movement
NY Teachers Ad Campaign Blasts “Obsessive” Testing
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/03/post_803.html
OpEd: Overreliance on Tests Undermines Learning
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130319/OPINION/130319187/1074
A Family Boycotts Colorado School Tests
http://www.villagerpublishing.com/boycotting-the-tcap/
Ohio Educators Petition: “Stop the Misuse of Standardized Testing”
http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/educators-say-stop-the-misuse-of-standardized-testing/article_b3eb35ff-df18-59f2-b793-d46d7abfb208.html
Ohio Rural Schools Struggle to Prepare for Common Core Tests
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2013/03/21/rural-schools-struggle-to-prepare-for-common-cores-online-tests/
Seattle School District Relaxes MAP Test Requirement After Boycott
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/03/seattle-schools-relaxes-requirements-for-map-tests/
Test-Based Teacher Evaluation May Become a New Jersey Gubernatorial Campaign Issue
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/03/cory_booker_questions_use_of_s.html
Testing Expert Urges Move Away from Value-Added Teacher Evaluation
http://diverseeducation.com/article/52147/#
Why We Cannot Threaten Our Way to Better Schools
http://hechingerreport.org/content/why-we-cant-threaten-our-way-to-better-schools_11641/