The following report comes from FairTest, which keeps track of news about testing a Ross the nation and advocates for sensible testing policies:
This week’s stories about test protest and reform activities — as well as a few victories — come from more than a third of the states, as the movement continues to spread, intensify and gain more clout.
Four Reasons Why Alabama Parents Want to Opt Their Kids Out of Tests
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2014/04/4_reasons_parents_want_to_opt.html
Colorado Testing Fight Nears Boiling Point
http://co.chalkbeat.org/2014/04/24/testing-issue-coming-back-to-the-boil/
Colorado Teachers Union Joins Fight for High-Stakes Moratorium
https://dianeravitch.net/2014/04/25/breaking-news-colorado-teachers-force-union-to-join-fight-against-high-stakes-testing/
Connecticut Mom Says: Let’s Ditch Those Tests and Let Teachers Teach
http://www.courant.com/features/parenting/hc-common-core-testing-parenting-20140425,0,2684706.story
Growing Debate Over Connecticut Opt-Out Policies
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Can-students-opt-out-of-new-standardized-tests-5432231.php
Florida School Stops Serving Kids High-Sugar, Caffeinated Drinks Before High-Stakes Tests
http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/education/2014/04/23/school-stops-serving-mountain-dew-before-fcat-after-complaints/8050073/
There’s Still Time for an Assessment Reform Pause
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-theres-still-time-for-a-test-reform-pause/2176908
Georgia Family Wins Opt-Out Fight With School District
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/24/standardized-test-opponents-reach-agreement-with-school/
Standardized Tests Are Not Useful Tools for Georgia Parents, Students,Teachers or Schools
http://www.greenwichtime.com/local/article/Can-students-opt-out-of-new-standardized-tests-5432231.php
Excellent Parents’ Group Testimony to Illinois Legislature
http://pureparents.org/?p=21271
Computer Problems Disrupt Indiana Practice Tests
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/indiana/2014/04/24/new-istep-glitches-put-educators-edge/8084747/
Minnesota Parent: I Am Middle Class, My Kids Test Well, and I Opt Out for Better Learning
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/sarahlahm/i-am-middle-class-my-kids-test-well-and-i-opt-out
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/sarahlahm/opting-out-tests-and-learning-matters
South High Leads Way for Minnesota Test Protests
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/256789551.html
Nebraska Parents Begin Joining National Movement to Say “No” to Test Overkill
http://www.theindependent.com/news/local/parents-saying-no-to-all-the-tests/article_393d15b8-cdc7-11e3-918a-001a4bcf887a.html
Time for New Jersey to Fight Back Against Standardized Testing
http://www.myveronanj.com/2014/04/27/op-ed-fight-back-high-risk-standardized-testing/
New York City Activists Rally Against High-Stakes Testing
http://indypendent.org/2014/04/25/photos-nyc-education-activists-rally-against-high-stakes-standardized-testing
Why New York’s Common Core Tests Are So Bad
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/opinion/tampio-common-core/
Louis C.K. Blasts Common Core Testing in New York: “Massive Stressball That Hangs Over the Whole School”
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/04/louis_ck_twitter_common_core_standardized_testing_pearson_math_is_hell.php
No Place for Poetry on New York’s Common Core Exams
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cynthia-wachtell/no-poetry-on-my-sons-comm_b_5223744.html
AFT Asks Pearson to Lift “Gag Order” on NY Teachers Talking About Tests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/25/aft-asks-pearson-to-stop-gag-order-barring-educators-from-talking-about-tests/
More Oklahoma Parents Opting Out of Standardized Exams
http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/becauseisaidso/because-i-said-so-more-parents-are-opting-out-of/article_22f43014-cca2-11e3-ac8d-0017a43b2370.html
Profile in Courage: Oklahoma Fights to Exempt Students Whose Parents Were Killed in a Car Crash From State Testing
http://www.okcfox.com/story/25322910/superintendent-defies-state-after-students-testing-exemption-denied
Pennsylvania Testing Forum Looks for Better Ways to Assess
http://www.centredaily.com/2014/04/25/4150130/standardized-testing-forum-looks.html
Students Put Providence, R.I. Mayoral Candidates on the Record Against Graduation Test
http://wpri.com/2014/04/25/providence-mayoral-candidate-oppose-necap-city-busing-policy/
Tennessee Rolls Back Test-Based Teacher Evaluation Policy
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2014/04/24/haslam-signs-bill-undoing-controversial-teacher-license-policy/8121885/
More Tennessee Families Opt Out as Testing Drives Students to Tears
http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/04/28/tennessee-schools-stress-testing-students-driven-tears/
Why Texas Legislators Should Take the Same Tests They Require for Students
http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/legislators-take-the-same-standardized-tests-you-ask-our-children-to-take-and-make-the-results-public.html/
New Texas Law Limits Standardized Exams But Not Test Prep
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/27/us/new-law-is-limiting-standardized-tests-but-not-prep-work.html
Utah Educators Deal Delicately With Opt-Out Requests
http://www.standard.net/stories/2014/04/24/area-teachers-treading-gingerly-around-sage-opt-out-issue
Widespread Problems Disrupt Computerized Tests . . . . Just As Predicted
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/28/computer-troubles-mar-standardized-testing-in-multiple-states/
The Crazy Way Common Core Test Cut Scores Are Set
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/29/the-scary-way-common-core-test-cut-scores-are-selected/
Canadian Perspective on U.S. — Forget Test Scores: Fight Poverty
http://thechronicleherald.ca/letters/1203117-forget-test-scores-fight-poverty-and-keep-education-public
What Does the SAT Measure: “Aptitude,” “Achievement,” or Anything At All?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/22/what-does-the-sat-measure-aptitude-achievement-anything/
New Resource: “Politics Aside: Our Children and Their Teachers in Score Driven Times”
http://bookreviewbuzz.com/education-politics-aside-our-children-and-their-teachers-in-score-driven-times/
Parody Song: “I Write the Tests That Make the Whole World Fail”
http://testingtalk.org/response/i-write-the-tests-i-write-the-tests-these-observations-sung-to-chorus-of-barry-manilows-song/
Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing
office- (239) 395-6773 fax- (239) 395-6779
mobile- (239) 696-0468
web- http://www.fairtest.org
Diane Ravitch's blog 
http://standwithspencerport.wordpress.com/
Above is petition from Cosgrove Middle School outside Rochester protesting the exams. There are nearly 5,000 signatures.
The petition was released to King and the media about three weeks ago.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/04/16/spencerport-cosgrove-teachers-petition-common-core/7795453/
Congratulations, Cosgrove! That’s great that The D & C went with the story. Perhaps it was the 5,000 number–there is strength in numbers, as we know. Keep those numbers growing all over the U.S.
I was wondering if research has been done to correlate a student’s anxiety level and the force to do standardized testing. I will be taking a research class (my major is clinical mental health counseling) in the fall and have thought about doing research in this area. Where should I start to gather such research? Has someone beat me to this idea? Have you seen any research for this? Please let me know. Thank you.
I don’t know whether or not anyone is doing this research, but it’s an important idea. What I hear from colleagues who are/have been school social workers is that they have seen a rise in students being referred/coming to see them due to test anxiety and stress.
I believe Diane had a post about this w/in the past year?
The problem in attempting to do the research is that one is unable to prove that the test anxiety is due to standardized testing. I’m wondering how I can get around this loop hole.
I mean, it’s obvious from viewing it but how can scientific research back this up?
I know of a child who was hospitalized for cutting and the root of the problem was school anxiety over testing, fear of failure issues and the likes.
The authoritarian poisonous pedagogy of training children with punitive behaviorism is what advanced the Nazi efforts. It is this same pedagogy used by the “reformers” to advance their privatization of the schools via CCSS and Pearson. How have Americans become so blind to history? Is it because Common Core has removed history from the curriculum, as well as empathy and compassion for children?
http://www.artofteachingscience.org/do-some-charter-and-title-i-schools-use-a-pedagogy-of-indoctrination/#respond
Thank you for sharing the excellent blog of Jack Hassard of Georgia State University. He is an expert who deserves notice in the education reform debate. Unfortunately, the experts like Jack are being ignored by politicians and “reformers” since truth is the last thing that interests them.
Great list. Politico notes that the CCSS have entered pop culture where they are being slammed. I really like the parody sung to Barry Manilow’s “I write the songs….”
O
The link to the Florida school giving kids Mountain Dew before the FCAT describes a practice that needs to be examined. We provided snacks to all our students on testing days, but didn’t make sure all were fed on “regular” days. Kinda bizarre, no?
Thank you, Diane, for posting this list and thank you FairTest for compiling it.
What a gloriously long list!
Hi Diane,
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your hard work, the updates, and the important links that you are providing through your blog. I don’t comment frequently, but I am an faithful reader and I use the information you provide to talk to everybody I know. I am an educator of 38 years (elementary teacher, special education teacher, and school psychologist) about to retire. I hope to spend more time contacting legislators, talking to families, and doing whatever I can to save our public schools, here in Arizona, and throughout the nation.
Best wishes for your upcoming surgery and speed recovery! Again, thanks for your inspirational leadership.
Thank you, Kathleen. Join the Network for Public Education and help us educate the public.
Thank you for compiling such a list. That looks like progress to me.