for further information:
Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773
orDr. Monty Neill (617) 477-9792
forrelease, Wednesday, April 10, 2018
NAEP RESULTS ADD TO EVIDENCE OF TEST-AND-PUNISH ERAFAILURES
AS ASSESSMENT REFORM MOVEMENT ACCELERATES ACROSS U.S.
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), which leads the U.S. assessment reform movement, released the following statement inresponse to today’s publicationofNational Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores:
“For more thantwo decades, proponents of test-and-punish policieshaveclaimedthattheir strategies would lead to gains in overall academic performance and a narrowing of historic score gaps. But according to National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores released today, no such trend has taken place. In fact, data support the opposite conclusion: NAEP score gains and achievement gap closing both have stagnated duringthe era that began with promotionofthe‘No Child Left Behind’ federal law.SAT and ACT results show a similar pattern. No wonder the assessment reform movement is accelerating around the country.”
FairTest cited recent legislative and administrative decisions in many statesand districtsthat have cut back test mandates, eliminated graduation exams, reduced time devoted to testing, and allowed students to opt-out of exams. Many of these new assessment policies are summarized in FairTest’s report “Testing Reform Victories Surge in 2017.”
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