Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Fairtest - Opposition to testing spreads nationwide




Moving into the peak weeks of the 2016 standardized exam season, the assessment reform movement continues to notch more victories as test-opt outs and other forms of protest accelerate in many states.
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Multiple States *Advocates Question Machine-Scoring of PARCC, SmarterBalanced Writing Samples
http://www.studentprivacymatters.org/our-letter-to-the-education-commissioners-in-the-parcc-and-sbac-states/
Multiple States FairTest Chronology of Computerized Testing Problems
Across the U.S.
<http://fairtest.org/computerized-testing-problems-chronology>http://fairtest.org/computerized-testing-problems-chronology

*Alaska *Cancels All K-12 Standardized Testing for the Year After
Computer Administration SNAFU
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/04/05/alaska-cancels-all-k-12-standardized-tests-for-the-year-citing-technical-problems/

*California *Parent Group Pushes for More Opt-Outs
http://www.dailybreeze.com/social-affairs/20160411/group-pushes-peninsula-parents-students-to-opt-out-of-test-aligned-with-common-core
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Colorado *Legislature Rejects Civics Test Mandate
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2016/04/05/bill-to-require-high-school-civics-test-advances-on-senate-floor/
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Connecticut *Smarter Balanced Test Wrong Answer for Students, Teachers
http://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-cohen-smarter-balanced-tests-teacher-evaluations-0410-20160408-story.html
Connecticut Black and Latino Parents Discuss Opt-Out Strategies
https://blogcea.org/2016/04/07/why-we-opt-out-ct-black-latino-parents-discuss-sbac/
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Florida *More Parents Join Opt-Out Movement
http://www.yourobserver.com/article/east-county-parents-sign-opt-out-movement
Florida Opt-Out Groups Push for Real Changes in Assessment
http://www.orangeobserver.com/article/opt-out-orlando-tackles-testing-pushes-change
Florida School Testing Scores High on Hypocrisy, Low on Integrity
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/romano-florida-scores-high-on-hypocrisy-and-low-on-integrity-in-school/2272582
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Georgia *Movement to Opt More Students Out of Standardized Tests
Continued to Grow
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2016-04-07/movement-students-opt-out-standardized-tests-continues-grow*

Illinois *PARCC Test Disrupts Classroom Learning
http://www.livingindialogue.com/parcc-testing-disrupts-learning/
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Indiana *Standardized Test Content Is Spreading Nationwide
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/Standardized-test-discontent-is-spreading-nationwide-12408673
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Iowa *New Federal Education Law Eliminates Some NCLB Punishments for
Local Schools
http://www.nonpareilonline.com/news/local/new-federal-law-gives-flexibilty-c-b-schools-sought-from/article_04e2c932-0b39-5a2a-84a4-1b63cb4b569a.html
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Maine *Survey Finds Teachers Blast New Standardized Tests
https://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/11/news/state/teachers-union-survey-blasts-maines-new-standardized-tests/
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Maryland *Baltimore Algebra Project Students Rap Against Tests
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8sWWRqGxYs&app=desktop
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Massachusetts *"Take The Test" Event Exposes Elected Officials to the
Exam They Mandate
http://baystatebanner.com/news/2016/apr/06/officials-get-taste-mcas-parcc/
Massachusetts Hollow Threats Fail to Slow Opt-Out Growth
http://www.capecodtimes.com/opinion/20160407/opting-out-of-testing-comes-with-empty-threats
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Michigan *Students Will Spend Less Time on State Testing This Year
http://www.sentinel-standard.com/article/20160410/NEWS/160419943
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Minnesota *Hundreds of Minneapolis High School Students Opt Out of
Standardized Tests
http://www.startribune.com/hundreds-of-students-at-minneapolis-south-high-opt-not-to-take-standardized-exams/375203861/
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New Jersey *Parents Protest Tying PARCC Test to Graduation
http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/parents-protest-tying-parcc-tests-to-graduation/#.VwWsOhHd3zY.email
New Jersey Many Reasons to Opt-Out of PARCC Exams
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/sparta/categories/letters-to-the-editor/articles/why-every-parent-should-consider-refusing-the-par
New Jersey PARCC Opt-Out Movement Is Not Just a White-Suburban Thing
http://patersontimes.com/2016/04/11/teague-parcc-opt-out-movement-isnt-just-a-white-suburban-thing/
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New Mexico *Varying District Opt-Out Policies Confuse Parents
http://www.koat.com/news/parcc-opt-out-different-by-district-confuses-parents/38865750*
*New Mexico Current Use of PARCC Test Causes Damage
http://www.abqjournal.com/753378/opinion/current-use-of-parcc-testing-can-cause-damage.html
New Mexico Let's Opt for Something Better Than PARCC Tests
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/my-view-let-s-opt-for-something-better-than-parcc/article_00b068dc-bfe1-517f-a6f8-4831a3e8e40e.html
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**New York *Anti-Common Core Testing Fury Rages as New Round of Exams Begin
https://www.longislandpress.com/2016/04/05/anti-common-core-fury-rages-as-latest-exams-administered-across-new-york/
New York Why the Opt-Out Movement Is Not Losing Steam
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2016/0406/Common-Core-tests-Why-the-opt-out-movement-isn-t-losing-steam
New York "Revised" 2016 State Tests No Better Than Ones They Replaced
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2016/04/so-was-testing-experience-for-kids-so.html

*North Dakota *Some Parents Opt Children Out of Standardized Tests
http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/Some-parents-opt-out-of-state-testing-375327821.html
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Oregon *Why Parents Should Opt Their Children Out of Standardized Tests
http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/34248263-78/opt-out-of-smarter-balanced-tests.html.csp
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Pennsylvania* Opt-Out Totals Rise
http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/local/pssa-testing-opt-outs-on-the-rise-in-bucks-and/article_43728988-fda8-11e5-935c-4fdd790f01be.html
Pennsylvania How to Write an Opt-Out Letter
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/parents-can-refuse-testing-without-a-religious-reason/article_0d6a353a-ff64-11e5-a2ed-b7c4e0c01e91.html
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Tennessee* State Standardized Testing Time to Be Scaled Back for Next Year
http://clarksvillenow.com/local/tennessee-standardized-testing-to-be-scaled-back-next-year/
Tennessee Testing Takes Up Too Much Learning Times
http://www.knoxnews.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/testing-takes-up-too-much-learning-time-2fe8ae50-f999-1e69-e053-0100007f7c31-374954271.html

*Texas *Computer Failures Erased Answers From 14,220 Tests
http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/state-answers-were-erased-on-14220-staar-tests/nqzc6/
Texas Top 10% College Admissions Plan Increased Diversity, Academic Quality
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Top-10-percent-rule-isn-t-broken-7237584.php
Texas Testing Company Will Be Punished for Computer Administration Foul Up
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/education/article/Testing-company-will-be-penalized-over-glitch-ed-7232963.php
Texas Teachers Give STAAR Tests Failing Grades
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Wednesday-letters-Grading-STAAR-tests-7230228.php

*Washington* Parents and Local NAACP Press School Board to Address
Testing Concerns
http://www.king5.com/mb/news/local/parents-seattle-school-board-look-to-address-standardized-testing-concerns/123543932

*ACT/SAT* Rejected by Many Colleges, Test-makers Try to Move Into State
Markets as Common Core Exams
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/us/act-and-sat-find-a-profitable-market-as-common-core-tests.html
ACT/SAT Problems with Requiring College Admissions Tests for All High
School Students
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/standardized-tests.html
ACT/SAT Skidmore Adopts Test-Optional Policy
http://skidmorenews.com/new-blog/2016/4/6/going-test-optional-was-the-right-choice
ACT/SAT
FairTest Directory of 860 Schools That Do Not Require All of
Many Applicants to Submit Scores
http://fairtest.org/university/optional

Teachers of the Year Say Test-Based Evaluations Cause Most Damage to
Profession
http://bit.ly/1UUGT8s

/Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director//
//FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing//
//office-   (239) 395-6773   fax-  (239) 395-6779//
//mobile- (239) 699-0468//
//web- http://www.fairtest.org//
//

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