Guest Post by Bob Schaeffer, Colorado Principal
In this week’s stories, all key public education stakeholder constituencies — parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, community activists, and the general public — add their voices to the ever louder call for assessment reform. Too many politicians, however, give little but lip service to the movement’s demands while continuing to double down on failed test-and-punish policies. The Atlanta and Philadelphia standardized exam cheating scandals are reminders of one kind of ugly fallout from this obsession
http://fairtest.org/teacher-evaluation-fact-sheet-2014Arizona Legislators Should Take the Tests They Promote
http://www.azcentral.com/story/brahm-resnik/2014/09/24/12news-arizona-citizenship-test-state-legislators-pass/16139755/
Largest Southern Colorado School District Proposes to Opt-Out of State Testing
http://gazette.com/d-11-board-votes-unanimously-to-request-change-in-testing-rules/article/1538211
Colorado Teacher Refuses to Administer Common Core Exams
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/09/23/colorado-teacher-i-refuse-to-administer-the-parcc-common-core-test-to-my-students/
Connecticut Governor’s Record on Testing Contradicts His Record
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/Lecker-Malloy-s-empty-words-about-testing-5768147.php
Did Rhee-formers Close any Washington, DC Public School Achievement Gaps?
http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/did-rheeformers-rhee-and-henderson-actually-close-any-of-those-achievement-gaps-in-dc-public-schools/
Calls to Suspend Florida State Testing Intensify as More Districts Weigh In
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/testing/calls-to-suspend-state-mandated-testing-intensify-as-more-school-districts/2199071
Lee County School Board Strikes Down All Grade K-5 District-Mandated Tests
http://www.abc-7.com/story/26620085/district-mandated-k-5-test-elimination-makes-florida-history#.VCNcscmwRrs
Florida Parents Push Back on Standardized Testing
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article2261678.html
Florida Education Association Position on Testing and Opt Out
http://feaweb.org/fea-resolution-on-accountability-and-testing-opt-out
Florida School Superintendents Ask For Testing Relief
http://tbo.com/news/politics/schools-superintendents-ask-for-relief-in-transition-year-to-new-test-standards-20140929/
Atlanta Test Cheating Scandal is “Tip of an Iceberg”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/us/racketeering-trial-opens-in-altanta-schools-cheating-scandal.html
http://www.fairtest.org/%E2%80%9Catlanta-tip-iceberg%E2%80%9D-new-count-shows-widespread-t
Georgia Seeks One-Year Delay in Test-Based Teacher Evaluation
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional/georgia-seeks-one-year-delay-in-high-stakes-teache/nhTB7/
Illinois Districts May Seek Legislative Relief From Testing Mandates
http://evanstonnow.com/story/education/charles-bartling/2014-09-23/66202/d202-board-may-seek-relief-from-springfield-on
New Massachusetts Board of Ed Chair Says Schools Too Focused on Test Prep
http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20140923/NEWS/140928749/12344/NEWS
Boston Teachers’ Petition: Say “No” to PARCC and High-Stake Exams
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/boston-say-no-to-parcc
Minnesota Educators Concerned With New High School ACT Test Requirement
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_26624750/minnesotas-new-act-requirement-has-some-educators-worried
Testing in New Mexico Has Gone Too Far
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-opinion/ci_26605498/elaine-hampton-new-mexico-has-gone-too-far
Teachers Sue to Block New Mexico Teacher Evaluation System
http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_26628104/union-sues-over-new-mexico-teacher-evaluation-system
Moratorium Urged on Using Student Test Scores to Assess Teachers
http://www.abqjournal.com/470012/news/moratorium-urged-on-using-test-scores-in-teacher-evals.html
New York Congressman Promotes Bill to Reduce Federal Testing Mandates
http://www.theislandnow.com/opinions/readers-write-legislation-would-end-excessive-testing/article_4b158d08-44d0-11e4-bbe1-ef9f4e73f305.html
Thousands of Long Islanders Opt Out of Common Core Tests
http://www.antonnews.com/farmingdaleobserver/news/39726-common-core-tests-parents-choice.html
Mapping Poverty and Test Scores in New York State
http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/09/8551205/mapping-poverty-and-test-scores-new-york-state
Federal Mandates Set Some New York Kids Up For Failure
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/some-students-being-set-up-to-fail-roger-tilles-1.9414375
Ohio Triples Number of Exams Required for Graduation
http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/story/news/local/2014/09/26/testing-overload-grad-tests-triple-high-schoolers/16261961/
Ohio Parents Debate Effects of Increased Standardized Testing
http://ysnews.com/news/2014/09/parents-consider-effects-of-increased-standardized-testing
No “Accountability” for Oklahoma Testing Contractor
http://www.newschannel6now.com/story/26624035/oklahoma-board-to-consider-testing-contract
Two Former Philadelphia Principals Arrested for Alleged Test Cheating to Meet NCLB Mandates
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20140926_2_more_Philly_principals_charged_in_cheating_probe.html
Penn. School Leaders Say Intense Pressure to Increase Test Scores Created Climate for Cheating
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/73265-fallout-of-pa-cheating-scandal-continues-with-charges-against-two-philly-principals?
Tennessee Teachers Want Testing Transparency, Accountability From State
http://www.knoxnews.com/opinion/columnists/citizens-voice-beth-brown-teachers-want-accountability-from-state-testing-transparency_98316156
Texas Seeks $30 Million to Develop, Pilot Alternative Assessments
http://educationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/09/texas-education-agency-wants-30-mil-to-pilot-alternative-to-staar.html/
West Virginia Teacher Evaluations Must Be Fair
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140927/ARTICLE/140929417/1103
“No Pineapple Left Behind” — New Video Game Skewers Testing and Corporate Ed. “Reform”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2014/09/satirical_video_game_skewers_n.html
Standardized Tests Don’t Accurately Reflect Anything Meaningful
http://conversationed.com/2014/09/22/why-standardized-tests-dont-accurately-reflect-anything
Why “Ed Reformers” Are Having Second Thoughts About Test-Driven Schooling
http://www.salon.com/2014/09/24/arne_duncans_staggering_statement_why_ed_reformers_are_having_second_thoughts/
Common Core Testing Will Take More Time Than Initially Estimated
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/09/common-core_assessment_group_revises_testing_time.html
Will Common Core Testing Technology Undermine New Math Performance Tasks?
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/09/24/05math.h34.html
The Scarring Effects of Primary Grade Retention
http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/09/03/sf.sou074.full
Mercyhurst University Adopts Test-Optional Policy
http://www.yourerie.com/news/news-article/d/story/mercyhurst-u-adopts-satact-optional-policy/17370/lBxxnviAm0uCw3l65v56Mg
Test-Optional Colleges vs. Test-Fixated K-12 Education
http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/standardized-tests-are-a-more-helpful-to-college-bound-kids/article_26901790-45d0-11e4-9e2d-0017a43b2370.html
COMMON CORE 