2014: The Greatest Year of Revolt Against High-Stakes Testing in US History

[NewDeal_Dem]

Top Ten Test-defiers 2014

1. Thousands of Students Protest Colorado Standardized Tests

In what was perhaps the largest student walkout against high-stakes testing in U.S. history, hundreds of high schools students in Colorado staged a mass walk out in November refusing to take their 12th grade social studies and science tests. Overall, more than 5,000 Colorado 12th graders refused to take the tests.

2. The Tulsa Test-defying Two

3. Lee County School Board Secedes from the Testocracy

4. Washington State Superintendents Flunk Duncan and NCLB

Most school districts across Washington state were forced by Secretary Arne Duncan’s selective enforcement of the No Child Left Behind Act to send letters to nearly all the parents in the state informing them that their child attended a failing school. On August 2014, 28 school superintendents from around the state authored a letter of their own, where they declared that their schools’ successes are not reflected in these ratings and criticized No Child Left Behind.

5. Toxic Testing

In July, the thousands of educator delegates to the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly voted to demand the resignation of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and launched “Toxic Testing” campaign that is raising awareness around the nation about the harmful effects of high-stakes testing.

6. The Undead Scare Legislators Into a 3-year Moratorium on High-stakes Testing

The Providence Student Union has been one of the most organized and creative student groups in the nation in opposition to high-stakes testing. These students’ unrelenting efforts to expose the high-stakes testing sham—from staging a zombie march to show what the test do to your brain, to making the adults take the test and announcing their scores at a press conference—put enough pressure on the state legislature get them to vote in June for 3-year moratorium on use of high-stakes.

7. 60,000 parents opt out in New York

8. Arise Ye Over-tested Teachers: International High School boycotts the test

9. Salt of the Earth School

In April, three teachers at New York City’s Earth School became the first teachers in the nation to publicly refuse to administer a Common Core standardized test. They penned a beautiful letter describing their decision and their vision for education.

10. ICE the ISAT

In February, teachers at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy voted unanimously to refuse to administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). The teachers were threatened with the revoking of their teaching certificates. However, because of the overwhelming solidarity of the parents, students, and community, they defeated the ISAT and were not reprimanded!

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/12/31/2014-greatest-year-revolt-against-high-stakes-testing-us-history

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. The aim of Common Core testing is the production of obedient worker bees.

The society based on production is only productive, not creative. Albert Camus

[NewDeal_Dem]

2. I think it's more to further the privatization of schools.

[bullimiami]

3. Yes, the common in all of it is to divert money to some connected party.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Two (actually, several) birds--

One stone.