By Sandy Stenoff
Don’t let anyone tell you that organized resistance to high stakes testing isn’t making a difference. It IS. But we still have a lot more work to do.
Activists and informed citizens must keep engaging parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, school boards and legislators. Here is some good information to share with them.
Just in from FairTest: The National Center for Fair and Open Testing
A new FairTest report:
FULL Report: Test Reform Victories Surge in 2017: What’s Behind the Winning Strategies? (link)
FairTest explains how and why local activists were successful.
- – States with high school exit exams dropped from 25 to 13 since 2012 (Florida still does).
- Various states cut tests for Kindergarten and high school. Districts across the nation, including locales with many students of color and low-income families, ended their tests.
- Seven states halted the use of student scores to judge teachers.
- Ten states now allow parents to opt their children out of some or all exams* (see note below)
- Increasing implementation of performance assessments by states and districts. New Hampshire’s pioneering program now involves half the state’s districts.
The report focuses on case studies of Maryland and seven districts that eliminated or sharply reduced the amount of testing, and of states that ended graduation tests. The studies describe how the victories were won, such as through clear organizing strategies, alliance building, using surveys, developing clear messages that focuses on benefits to students, and winning school board elections.
These cases will be of use to union, parent, student and other activists seeking to end the overuse and misuse of tests and implement teacher-developed, student-focused performance assessments. The report also includes links to a usable, online survey developed by FairTest and allies.
Note: The Opt Out Florida Network doesn’t necessarily see this as a *good* thing for this movement. “Opt out” is a protest. We don’t ask for permission. Click here to learn more.
IMPORTANT
As of Nov 13, 2017, the list of test-optional colleges and universities is now just shy of 1,000. See FairTest’s press release here.
“The past three years – since the redesigned SAT was announced – have seen the fastest growth ever of schools dropping ACT/SAT mandates,” explained FairTest Public Education Director Bob Schaeffer. “More than 80 colleges and universities reduced standardized exam requirements in that period. That’s a pace of one every two weeks.”
To view the list:
990+ Accredited Colleges and Universities That Do Not Use ACT/SAT Scores to Admit Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor-Degree Programs
Includes links to:
- Chronology of 200+ schools de-emphasizing ACT/SAT use since 2005
- List of 300+ test-optional and test-flexible schools ranked in the top tiers of their respective categories
- Comparison of number of high school graduates who had taken the ACT and SAT annually over the past 30 years
You can support this important work by donating to FairTest: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fairtest
THE OPT OUT FLORIDA NETWORK 
Seems a lot is going on with our 3rd graders in Florida. This is the grade where students should start to learn how to do cursive handwriting. Common Core Forida Standards under Languages and Arts approved in 2014 states students learn cursive handwriting from grade 3-5.
Yet in Florida the public schools are still not teaching cursive handwriting. Our Villages, FL Charter School is teaching cursive handwriting. Many home schooling parents in the area tell me they are teaching their children cursive handwriting. Outside our community they are not.
Concerned I called a nearby town Principle about their cursive program since I heard the children from that public school were not learning cursive handwritng. She was hostile saying, “They had met the standards”. I was thinking no they had not.
I reminded the County School Administrator for K-12 they were not meeting the Florida Standards for cursive handwriting. She said she would remind the teachers, etc. at their next meeting about it. I heard they passed out how to learn cursive books to send home.
I feel the same education committee in the state needs to pass a law that requires cursive handwriting testing so it does get done. Common Core allows local schools to bypass it apparently. Reading, Writing and Arthmatic is standard. Cursive handwriting is not for some reason.
Private (many Charter Schools even given more funds) and home schooled children are passing our public school children because they are learning curisve handwriting. We can not let our public school children fall behind or be ignorant of reading and writing cursive handwriting.
I am a Certified member of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation or AHAF. We are professional handwriting examiners, etc. It is our “project to bring back cursive handwriting” to American Public School Children. We have found this lack of teaching cursive even with passed legislation in many states including ours.
Private and home schooled children are bypassing our public school children because they are learning curisve handwriting. We can not let our public school children fall behind or be ignorant of reading and writing cursive handwriting. All children in our society deserve the best and same education.
We are thinking of creating an advertisement for cursive handwriting in the future to reach teachers, parents, groups such as yours, etc. since we feel it is so important. Do you have ad space?
We created a special “White Paper” on cursive handwriting. Could you post our special website for cursive handwritng research findings, books, programs to teach teachers, books, etc? Help our cause?
http://WWW.CURSIVEISCOOL.COM
YouTube had a presentation regarding the importance of cursive handwriting to an OK group of education politicans done by our AHAF President Sheila Lowe if you want to listen to that. Sheila does presentations if you want to reach her through our website The American Handwriting Analysis Foundation.
Thank you.
Judith Stevens, BS, CG AHAF
The Villages, FL
seniortwin1@gmail.com
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Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough comment. I’ll be in touch!
Regards,
Sandy Stenoff
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