Testing Resistance & Reform News: January 30 – February 5, 2019

Progress on many elements of the assessment reform agenda is visible in this week’s news clips. Among the top priorities for 2019 and beyond:

  • Cut back overall testing time and volume
  • Terminate high school graduation and grade promotion tests
  • Stop ranking schools with grades derived from test results
  • End use of student test scores to evaluate educators
  • Eliminate testing of young children
  • Recognize families’ right to opt out from testing overkill
  • Fund performance-based alternative assessments
  • Use multiple measures for educational “accountability”

The increasingly successful movement’s overall goal remains clear: “Less testing, more learning!”

California Time to Stop the Cut-Throat Game of Test-Score Competition
https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-patrice-apodaca-column-20190204-story.html

Florida Governor Pledges End to Common Core Test-and-Punish Standards
http://news.wgcu.org/post/common-core-may-be-no-more
Florida New Governor Seeks to End Misuse of Teachers’ College Test Scores to Award Bonuses
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/2019/02/01/dont-count-sat-scores-for-florida-teacher-bonuses-gov-ron-desantis-says/

Indiana Support for Continued Move Away From Graduation Exam
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/20190130/no-child-left-behind

Maryland Standardized Exams Will Take Up Less Time Next School Year
https://marylandreporter.com/2019/01/31/school-standardized-tests-to-get-shorter-next-year/

Massachusetts Taking Exam on Computer Lowered Average Scores
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2019/01/parcc_scores_lower_online_massachusetts.html

Missouri Fourth New Test in Five Years Produces Poorer Results
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-students-bomb-new-harder-test-state-promises-no-more/article_eb0262e8-753d-570c-abb8-1215d07ac2b8.html

New Jersey Fate of Graduation Test Remains Unclear
https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/education/bill-delayed-court-case-proceeds-and-the-fate-of-state/article_29ce2893-e163-525d-bd92-4756930fb76f.html

New York State Joins National Movement Away From Using Standardized Exams for Teacher Evaluation
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/nyregion/standardized-testing-teachers-students.html

North Carolina Are We Ready to Listen to Teachers About Education?
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article225391830.html
North Carolina Young Children Are Over-Tested
https://www.thetimesnews.com/news/20190129/children-over-tested-alamance-early-education-speaker-says

Pennsylvania Legislature to Consider Reducing Role of Standardized Exams in Teacher Evaluation
https://comcastnewsmakers.com/Videos/2019/2/1/Ryan-Aument?autoPlay

South Carolina What Finnish Schools Can Teach Local Educators
https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/opinion/2019/02/03/opinon-what-s-c-educators-can-learn-schools-finland/2719476002/

Tennessee State Behind Schedule in Hiring a New Testing Vendor
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/tn/2019/01/29/just-months-before-its-next-testing-company-is-supposed-to-start-tennessee-has-yet-to-receive-its-first-bid/

Texas Local Business Leaders Join Call for Overhaul of Exam-Driven School Accountability System
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/cyfair/news/article/See-what-Cy-Fair-leaders-are-advocating-for-the-13578708.php

Utah House Committee Advances Bill to End “A to F” School Grades
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2019/02/05/no-more-school-grades/

Washington Push On to Delink Standardized Exams From High School Graduation
https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/feb/05/standardized-tests-and-graduation-delinking-push-on/

International Australia Teachers Say Testing Is Out of Control, Eats Into Curriculum
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/education/naplan-out-of-control-teachers-say-test-eats-into-curriculum-20190130-p50ul5.html

Worth Reading Why “Race to the Top” Was a Disaster
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/01/the-kind-of-policy-we-must-never-make-again
Worth Reading How Long Will the Love Affair with Standardized Testing Go on?
https://dianeravitch.net/2019/01/30/bob-shepherd-how-long-will-the-love-affair-with-standardized-testing-go-on/

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 mobile- (239) 699-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org

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