Testing Resistance & Reform News: April 3 – 9, 2019

As annual school tests get underway in more states, the pace of assessment reform action — from opting out to pressing for legislation to roll back testing overkill — continues to escalate.  Add in the fallout from the “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal plus renewed interest in overhauling teacher licensing exam requirements and it’s not surprising that the resources on www.fairtest.org  are hosting record visitor volume. Please take advantage of these free tools, and remember to sign-up allies for weekly news updates at http://www.fairtest.org/weekly-news-signup

National States Begin Implementing Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/04/03/states-districts-tackle-the-tough-work-of.html
National DeVos Encourages States to Pursue ESSA Waivers, Especially in Testing
https://www.the74million.org/article/devos-pushes-state-chiefs-to-consider-essa-waivers-particularly-in-testing-saying-anything-that-helps-student-achievement-is-going-to-be-seen-very-favorably

Multiple States Computer Testing Bugs Bite Schools Again
https://www.educationdive.com/news/computer-based-testing-bugs-bite-schools-again/551998/

Arizona Feds School Aid Threatened Because State Allows Districts to Select Tests
https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/04/05/arizona-schools-at-risk-of-losing-federal-funds-over-standardized-tests/

Florida Don’t Let Testing Deprive Students of Great Teachers
http://floridapolitics.com/archives/292705-paul-cottle-dont-let-testing-deprive-students-of-great-teachers

Indiana State Could Strap Test Seen as Barrier to Hiring Teachers of Color
https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/in/2019/04/03/indiana-could-scrap-test-seen-as-a-barrier-to-training-more-teachers-of-color/

Iowa Legislature Lowers Testing Barrier for New Teachers
http://www.kmaland.com/news/legislature-passes-changes-to-teacher-exam-standards/article_a111368c-5568-11e9-bb48-17ec39aac738.html

Maryland School Tests Are Inefficient and Wasteful
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-op-0403-school-testing-20190402-story.html

Massachusetts Assessment Reform Advocacy Group Says State Must Remove Claim That Test Participation is Mandatory
https://www.citizensforpublicschools.org/cps-calls-on-ma-dese-to-remove-misleading-information-on-mcas-participation-immediately/
Massachusetts Commissioner Tosses Test Essay Questions That Parents, Students Found Insensitive
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/03/state-tosses-out-mcas-question-about-underground-railroad-after-students-teachers-protest/kGnKWDhbHR627VSPSZ1XII/story.html

New York State Postpones Testing Due to Computer Administration Problems
https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/some-students-unable-to-take-ela-state-tests-due-to-software-issue/1894678408Tea
New York Teachers Rally Against Standardized Exam Requirements
https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/04/08/teachers-union-leaders-press-call-to-correct-state-tests
New York Welcome Back to Test Insanity
https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-welcome-back-to-test-insanity-20190402-tyu42dirlzcgjgwyhq36sfwx7y-story.html

North Carolina Lawmakers Say They Want to Reduce Student Testing
https://www.courier-tribune.com/news/20190404/nc-lawmakers-say-they-want-to-reduce-student-testing

Tennessee State Will Revert to Paper-Based Tests Next Year Due to Computer Exam Failures
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2019/04/04/tnready-gov-bill-lee-says-test-given-paper-2019-20/3367754002/

Texas Are State Tests Too Hard?  Legislators Are Beginning to Think So
https://www.ksat.com/news/news-at-9/is-the-staar-test-too-hard-lawmakers-are-starting-to-think-so
Texas Mother Holds Child Out of State Tests to Send Message to Policy Makers
https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/education/cant-sit-quietly-anymore-sour-lake-mother-says-her-son-wont-take-staar-test/502-64f7efb7-c5c4-48f8-89e1-35efe74b765e
Texas My Family Is Opting Out Again: What I’ve Learned
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/04/09/family-opting-staar-again-learned

Washington Schools Support Bills to Eliminate Graduation Testing Requirement
https://tdn.com/news/local/local-schools-stand-by-bills-to-separate-state-testing-graduation/article_23862f53-3e6d-53f3-8686-955accfcae6e.html
Washington Disruption Caused By Administering State Tests During Ramadan
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/04/04/seattle-schools-are-giving-standardized-tests-during-holy-muslim-month-ramadan-heres-trouble-that-caused/

University Admissions Southwestern University Goes Test Optional
https://www.southwestern.edu/live/news/13236-southwestern-university-adopts-a-test-optional
University Admissions Morning Joe Explores Flaws of Reliance on SAT/ACT Tests
http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/documentary-examines-the-impact-of-standardized-testing-1469702211797
University Admissions ACT/SAT Tests Are Part of a Regressive Tax System for Low-Income Applicants
https://diverseeducation.com/article/142656/

Worth Reading Don’t Be Fooled By This Proposal to “End Standardized Testing”
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2019/04/dont-be-fooled-by-this-proposal-to-end.html
Worth Reading Education Research Association Head Calls Testing Policies “The Jim Crow of Education”
https://www.educationdive.com/news/aera-19-testing-policies-are-the-jim-crow-of-education-association-pre/552188/

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

Charter School Sector Swindles the Public, Burns Tax Dollars, and Cheats Children—Part 1

janresseger

Many of us have been aware of problems with charter schools for a long, long time.  For over two years now, the Network for Public Education has been logging reports in local newspapers when an entrepreneur is caught stealing tax dollars; or when a state, a school district or charter authorizer finally shuts down a charter school for academic malpractice; or when a charter school goes broke mid-school year leaving children without a school mid-semester.

But the past month has produced an uptick in reports of large scale charter school ripoffs and charter school failure.

At the federal level: In late March, the Network for Public Education published Asleep at the Wheel, an explosive report documenting the waste of billions of federal charter school startup dollars on schools that that never opened or opened and then shut down.  The researchers conclude that if you want to start a…

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