Re: Current "Paul Wellstone Amendment" being drafted NEED YOUR FAXES ASAP

[Harold Berlak <hberlak@yahoo.com>]

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