FairTest
National Center for Fair & Open Testing
TO: Journalists Who Cover Education
FROM: Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
RE: Testing Resistance & Reform News
DATE: June 24, 2014
What a week!
The impacts of “Testing Resistance & Reform Spring” protests reverberate across the nation with more states suspending testing requirements or pulling out of testing consortia. Bill Gates’ call for a moratorium on some consequences from Common Core exams, quickly implemented by some political allies, reflects another way grassroots power is forcing policy elites to backpedal. To take advantage of this opportunity, parents, educators, students, and community activists need to step up advocacy campaigns to end standardized testing misuse and press for implementation of higher quality performance assessments.
Remember that back issues of these weekly updates are archived at: http://fairtest.org/news — let me know if you want to be added to the regular distribution list
What the Gates Foundation’s Embrace of a High-Stakes Testing Moratorium Really Means
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2014/06/john_thompson_time_for_a_truce.html
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2014/06/is_a_high_stakes_moratorium_wo.html
http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/debating-the-gates-moratorium-or-life-among-the-roadbuilders/
Plan for Common Core Testing “Fractures” As States Withdraw
http://hechingerreport.org/content/common-common-core-fractures-state-support-falters_16420/
Common Core National Field Tests Had Major, Known Data Security Flaw
PARCC field tests had major data security flaws and of course they knew all about it
Bid-Rigging Lawsuit Throws $240Million/Year Common Core Testing Contract Into Limbo
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/11/core-business-major-testing-company-pearson-lands-controversial-common-core/
Colorado Parent’s Letter: Fixation on Testing Hurts Local Education
http://www.reporterherald.com/opinion/letters/ci_26020119/focus-testing-hurts-local-education
DC Public Schools Take “Hiatus” From Test-Based Teacher Evaluation
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-public-schools-takes-hiatus-from-test-based-teacher-evaluations-as-city-moves-to-common-core-exams/2014/06/19/184b8b44-f7c2-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html
Supers Question Florida Writing Test Scores
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/testing/superintendents-voice-strong-doubts-about-fcat-writing-tests/2185177
Florida Teacher Who Decried “Toxic Culture of Education” Now Running for School Board
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/blogs/school-zone/os-orange-teacher-toxic-culture–school-board-,0,1357720.post
Turmoil Over Indiana School Testing Continues
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20140618/OPINION01/306180015/Common-Core-education
Indiana Parents Protest Testing Frequency
http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/schools/2014/06/24/Goshen-schools-questioned-by-parent-group-over-frequency-of-student-tests.html
Louisiana Governor Seeks to Block Common Core Test
http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20140618/NEWS01/140618007
Common Core Fight in Louisiana Needs Common Sense
http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/opinion/9505036-171/guest-oped-common-core-doesnt
Massachusetts Super: Adding New Tests Fits the Definition of “Insanity”
http://superintendentlps.blogspot.com/2014/06/insanity-doing-thesame-thing-over-and.html
Debate Over Massachusetts Testing System Ignores Larger Educational Questions
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2014/06/22/debate-over-dueling-test-systems-avoids-larger-education-questions/IgYBduPxOCpPHFLCGhTG3N/story.html#
New Jersey Assembly Votes to Put Brakes on Common Core Testing
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/14/06/18/assembly-votes-to-put-brakes-on-impact-of-common-core-testing/
New York Educator Union Head Seeks Overhaul of Exam-Score-Based Ratings
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2014/06/18/nysut-head-getting-rid-of-test-scores-only-a-first-step-toward-evaluation-overhaul/#.U6LVa2OiUng
Common Core Testing Concerns Spur Teacher Evaluation Change
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/albany-watch/2014/06/19/common-core-concerns-spur-teacher-evaluation-changes/11031011/
New York Parents Outraged That Testing “Pause” Does Not Include Students
New York: Parents Outraged by Cuomo’s Deal on Tests: What About the Children?
Ohio Legislature Delays Common Core Testing Impact
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/news/local-education/state-slows-down-new-curriculum-testing-standards/ngMwd/
Rhode Island Legislature Passes Grad Test Suspension Bill
http://www.providencestudentunion.org/2014/06/20/ri-students-win-3-year-high-stakes-testing-ban/
Happy Rhode Island Teenager Was Prime Example for Exit Exam Repeal
http://www.providencejournal.com/news/education/20140622-barrington-teen-who-was-denied-diploma-really-happy-ri-lawmakers-voted-to-dump-necaps.ece
South Carolina Retroactively Gives Diplomas to Adults Who Failed High School Grad Test
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/education/2014/06/18/former-students-seek-diplomas-new-law/10830371/
Tennessee Quits PARCC Testing Consortium
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/06/tennessee_quits_parcc.html
Legislators Seek Tennessee Ed. Head’s Resignation Over Test-Score Manipulation
http://www.fox17.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/lawmakers-demand-education-commissioner-huffman-resign-mikayla-lewis-21922.shtml
Texas District Super: Test Does Not Define Your Child
http://www.ketknbc.com/news/lindale-superintendent-shares-thoughts-about-staar
Education “Reform” — A National Delusion
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-nelson/education-reform-a-nation_b_5511589.html
New Analysis Rebuts Claims About Accuracy of “Value-Added” Teacher Evaluation
http://nepc.colorado.edu/newsletter/2014/06/adler-response-to-chetty
Cartoon: Transforming Teachers Into Mere Test Proctors
http://blackeducator.blogspot.com/2014/06/taylorism-20-transforming-teachers-into.html
What Real Learning Looks Like (Hint: It’s Not Test-Driven Classrooms)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/18/what-real-learning-actually-looks-like-in-class/
How Standardized Testing Keeps Us Stuck in the 20th Century
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/06/18/testing-education-update-738/
Why Education in Finland Works
“Good Morning Mission Hill” — A Model for a U.S. School Promoting Real Learning
Why Machines Should Never Be Allowed to Grade Student Writing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/18/sarcasm-scarlett-johannson-and-why-machines-should-never-grade-student-writing/
College to Applicants: We Won’t Look at Your SATs (or ACTs)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/college-to-applicants-we-wont-look-at-your-sats-2014-06-18
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 
Please add NEW MEXICO to this list, whose parents, educators, and public officials – including our Democrat Governor candidate, GARY KING are finally “getting it”. King is running against the harmful Susana Martinez.
Enjoy the blog by Kris Nielson and be sure to listen to Gary King – on video – as he responds to Daniel Hornbergers film “Standardized Lies, Money & Civil Rights – How Testing is Ruining Public Education.
http://atthechalkface.com/2014/06/27/parent-and-teacher-groups/
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And remember, NEW MEXICO is where 2012 NM Senate Memorial 73, Study Costs of All School Assessments, sponsored by Majority Leader Senator Michael Sanchez, was passed and signed. The memorial had input from Monty Neill at the Nat’l Center of Fair and Open Testing.
NM SM 73 was foundational for a 2012 AFT resolution which resulted in the “Testing More, Teaching Less: What America’s Obsession with Student Testing Costs in Money and Lost Instructional Time” (2013) report, and a New Business Item presented at the NEA 2012 Convention.
Don’t forget about us … it’s often a lonely battle against big forces (Hanna Skandera -> Jeb Bush and Susana Martinez -> Koch Brothers) out here. But the resistors are growing stronger everyday!
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Reblogged this on rjknudsen and commented:
Summer Reading, as we prepare for the coming year.
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Reblogged this on rjknudsen and commented:
Summer Reading, as we prepare for the coming year.
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This is a wonderful service from fairtest and your posting of the their list on this blog will likely give others who oppose the test mania some of the evidence they need to add steam to this movement.
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Excellent Veteran Teachers are being systematically fired for no cause in Wisconsin. What is going on there? Could it be the beginning of New Orleans style school reform? Down here we call it school “deform”.
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