Revolt Against Testing is Growing

Palm Beach County Florida is the third largest county in the state of Florida and the county school system is the 11th largest school system in the country. It's also the first Florida school district to come out against the overuse and misuse of high stakes testing, following the lead of over 400 school districts, representing 40% of all school districts in Texas.

According to the Palm Beach Post Extra Credit blog, the Palm Beach County School Board added their name to the growing list of individuals and organizations supporting the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing.

The resolution calls for an end to the over reliance on high stakes testing required by the federal No Child Left Behind law, the Obama administration's Race to the Top and various state accountability systems.

The resolution calls on

...the governor, state legislature and state education boards and administrators to reexamine public school accountability systems in this state, and to develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment which does not require extensive standardized testing, more accurately reflects the broad range of student learning, and is used to support students and improve schools...

It further calls on the U.S. Congress and the current administration

...to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as the "No Child Left Behind Act," reduce the testing mandates, promote multiple forms of evidence of student learning and school quality in accountability, and not mandate any fixed role for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators.

Groups and Individuals may sign the Resolution by clicking HERE.

In another story about the growing public outcry against the overuse and misuse of standardized tests see NY principals: A ‘wrecking ball’ of reform aimed at schools. A group of more than 1400 New York State Principals have sent an open letter to the State Board of Regents asking them to rethink their "reform" agenda.

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