Re: [ca-resisters] Current "Paul Wellstone Amendment" being drafted NEED YOUR FAXES ASAP

["Horn, James" <jhorn@monmouth.edu>]

Something I have been  working on--use it if you can. Jim

Family and Students Testing Protection Act
 
WHEREAS, high-stakes standardized testing of children constitutes the year-round focus in public schools classrooms; and 
WHEREAS, the over-reliance and continued emphasis on high-stakes tests has a corrosive effect on preparing children to assume their roles in a representative democracy; and
WHEREAS, emphasis on testing math and reading has resulted in the de-emphasis and disappearance of other important subjects and learning activities; and
WHEREAS, the testing of young children threatens their emotional and intellectual health; and
WHEREAS, many commercial standardized tests used in schools are neither valid nor reliable, and 
WHEREAS, results on a single test have been used to justify retention policies that ignore scientific evidence regarding the effects of such harmful practices, and
WHEREAS, poor, non-English speaking, and special education students bear the brunt of disproportionate failure on standardized tests; and
WHEREAS, the preponderance of high stakes standardized tests has neither closed the achievement gap, nor has it altered the other factors that are responsible for those gaps in achievement; and
WHEREAS, failure to meet unrealistic testing targets undermines public support for their schools, thus opening the door to privatization; and
WHEREAS, the institutional stress of high-stakes testing undermines the supportive and challenging school climate needed for children to learn and grow; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that this is the part of the resolution that restates the basic issue or problem and proposes a solution to the issue or problem identified in the "Whereas" statements; and be it further
RESOLVED, that each "Resolved" statement should address a separate action to be taken or solution proposed to resolve the issue or problem;



-----Original Message-----
From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org on behalf of Harold Berlak
Sent: Fri 3/16/2007 7:46 PM
To: CalCare CalCare; listserve ARN
Cc: Susan Harman; Rog Lucido; Susan Allison; Juanita Doyon; Jo Ann Behm; Susan Ohanian; GERALD BRACEY
Subject: Re: [arn-l] [ca-resisters] Current "Paul Wellstone  Amendment" being drafted  NEED YOUR FAXES ASAP 
 
We need to add that no schools may be disestablished or restructured  
based on rankings on standardized tests.  It is this threatened  
sanction that' s so corrosive and undermining.  We need examples of  
good schools that were shut down based on standardized test score  
results.. I bet that Debby Meier , George Wood, Susan Harman, Susan  
Ohanian and others have some graphic  examples.

I would like to see a student and parent right to opt out of any test  
that was not in the best  interest of the student's education and  
learning   with no sanctions to the student or school for exercising  
their right

  I would like to see a provision that requires that standardized  
tests meet independent professional standards. (APA, AERA, NCME,  
National Forum )

As I recall the original Wellstone legislation included a prohibition  
on the use of tests for purposes they were never constucted to fullfil.

There  should be a right to know:  full public disclosure on what's   
in the test,  how its scored, and validated.

H B



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