Thanks to everyone who contacted members of the North Carolina Board of Education to recommend that they eliminate the problematic test-score-based Standard 6 from the state teacher evaluation. Board members seem to have heard you loud and clear. “I doubt we’re going to find anyone who’s opposed to this based on the emails we’ve received,” […]
This week, the North Carolina State Board of Education can take the first step toward reducing the state-required testing that so burdens our students, teachers and schools. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has recommended that the Board eliminate Standard 6 from state teacher evaluations. This standard requires that every teacher in the […]
Parents Across America has just issued a nationwide call for state legislatures to eliminate teacher ratings based on student test score growth, known as Value Added Measurement (VAM). Teacher VAM ratings are notoriously inaccurate. They have also been a major factor in the growth of state-required standardized tests. North Carolina is a prime example. Requiring […]
MecklenburgACTS is pleased to be part of the recently formed OneMECK Coalition, which brings together organizations and individuals from across Mecklenburg County to: Highlight the well-established link between diverse schools and academic success for all children Support public policies and individual choices that promote mixed-income schools and neighborhoods – including a reimagined CMS pupil assignment […]
Redefinition of “low-performing” schools and creation of “low-performing” districts would intensify teaching to the test, pave way for state, charter takeovers Buried in the just-released Senate budget proposal is a measure that would significantly expand the number of state-designated “low-performing schools.” It would also designate entire districts as “low-performing” if the majority of schools in […]
Last week was a good one in terms of contacting Senators about testing and ESEA. Senators received many calls, and FairTest reported that more than 10,000 e-mails were sent as part of the April 8 action. The Senate is expected to continue working on the legislation in the coming week, If you didn’t get a […]
Today, April 8, MecklenburgACTS.org will be part of a nationwide push to convince the U.S. Senate to cut back on federal testing requirements. Please take a few minutes to phone North Carolina senators Richard Burr (202-224-3154) and Thom Tillis (202-224-6342). Efforts from across the country have already helped to move Senators in a positive direction, […]
Once again, it’s time to contact federal representatives to urge them to pass more sensible education policies. A proposal under consideration by the Senate Education Committee would reduce federally required testing by two-thirds, by shifting from annual to grade-span testing (statewide testing for one grade in elementary school, one grade in middle school and one […]
The A-F school grades being released today provide a textbook example of the politically driven misuse of standardized testing. Typically, A-F grades summarize how well a student has mastered the full range of material presented in a particular class. They combine performance in a variety of areas that may include tests, papers, presentations, class participation […]
We at MecklenburgACTS.org join parent groups across the nation in calling for North Carolina’s Congressional representatives to support Option 1, as presented by Senator Lamar Alexander in his recently proposed ESEA reauthorization. Option 1 would allow states to switch from annual to grade-span testing (one grade in elementary, middle and high school) and provide additional […]