Testing Revolt In Washington State Brings Feds Into Uncharted Waters

[Recursion]

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/07/16/420837531/testing-revolt-in-washington-state-brings-feds-into-uncharted-waters

Seattle 11th-grader Elijah Falk added it all up and decided: It made no sense to take the tests.

The Common Core-aligned Smarter Balanced exams, Elijah was told, were grueling — but Washington state didn't require this year's juniors to pass them to graduate from high school. In fact, the only thing compelling Elijah to take the tests this past spring was No Child Left Behind, the federal law. And, by federal standards, Elijah's school was all but certain to be labeled "failing" whether he passed the tests or not.

"If there's something you might risk failing but, regardless, you'll learn something or you'll be stronger because of it ... that's great," Elijah said in April as he organized a boycott of the tests at his school. "But if there's not a real benefit to passing or failing, then it's not worth it."

When testing day finally arrived in high schools across Washington, Elijah was one of more than 42,000 11th-graders — roughly half of the state's junior class — who did not show up for their exams. At least 22,000 of them formally refused to test. Many of the rest were AWOL.

[eridani]

1. The state Democratic Party passed a resoultion againt Common Core

The presenter made the excellent case that it was so widely hated that it would not do to just give the issue to Republicans.

[Recursion]

2. What does common core have to do with testing? (nt)

[Hestia]

3. Everything - kids have to pass tests K-12, proving they are "learning" no pass, the teacher

then has to justify their existence and teach towards the test instead of educating the kids. The whole Common Core is for the Testing Industry and not about education.

[Recursion]

5. But, I mean, there are no tests that come with Common Core

That's what's so asinine to me: we're pushing a common curriculum, and a common testing framework, and the two aren't related to each other.

[roody]

4. Common snore, bore, oops core

put an end to paper and pencil tests. All is done on line now. Congrats to Bill Gates.