Seattle teachers Jesse Hagopian and Liza Campbell explain here what happened when the teachers at Garfield High School decided to boycott MAP testing. Their courageous action inspired teachers and parents across the nation. The MAP tests were suspended for the high schools but not for K-8.

But the teachers were not acting simply in opposition to this particular test or to all testing. They want something better that will help them help students.

And that is why they are working together to find later natives to the status quo:

“…..it’s not enough to be against the abuses of standardized testing. Parents, students and teachers who want the school system our students deserve must advance a vision of assessment that would actually improve education.

“That is why educators in Seattle established a Teacher Work Group on Assessment of more than 20 teachers to supplement the district’s task force formed to review the MAP. The work group engaged in months of research and recommended “Markers of Quality Assessment” to develop assessments that: reflect actual student knowledge and learning, not just test taking skills; are educational in and of themselves; are free of gender, class and racial bias; are differentiated to meet students’ needs; allow opportunities to go back and improve; undergo regular evaluation and revision by educators.

“The work group on assessment concluded that quality assessments, at their base, must integrate with classroom curriculum, measure student growth toward standards achievement, and take the form of performance tasks. These tasks, taken as a whole, should replace the MAP because they grow from classroom work, are rigorously evaluated and respect true learning.”