Save Our Schools: A National Call to Action
www.saveourschoolsmarch.org
Letter of Endorsement of the NYC Field Test Boycott
Dear Save Our Schools Supporters…
We wish to offer an opportunity to express your support for
The Letter of Endorsement of the NYC Field Test Boycott
We the undersigned, education researchers and scholars from across the United States and abroad, support the New York City families in their decision to boycott the field test from October 23 to 25.
Commissioned by New York State and developed by NCS Pearson, Inc., the test development relies upon (1) student labor without parent consent, (2) valuable class time, and (3) taxpayer money to pilot questions for future standardized tests. The for-profit testing company, NCS Pearson charges New York State 7 million dollars for testing services for the 2012 calendar year, of which 30% is allocated for field tests. As New York City public schools struggle to provide resources for every child, citizens are paying a billion-dollar corporation to develop its products, which the state will then purchase.
With this letter, we join over 1,000 New York State professors and over 1,500 New York school principals, who have voiced objections to high-stakes testing in open letters to the New York State Regents.
As parents and students know, high-stakes testing can be stressful and can be hard on everyone. Beyond this, the research on high-stakes testing [1] is clear; among the many issues we highlight the following. High stakes standardized testing:
Does not improve learning or teaching;
Does not accurately measure student achievement. Furthermore, all statistical measurements contain errors;
Narrows curriculum by forcing teachers to prepare students for the test, and reduces the rich enterprise of teaching and learning to a number;
Produces data on schools and students that is used to stratify schools and limit students’ educational access instead of ensuring sound basic education for all;
Is especially harmful for students with special needs, as well as students from low income, racially minoritized, English language learning backgrounds.
As researchers and scholars dedicated to education that cultivates and sustains democracy, we oppose high-stakes testing. We stand in solidarity with the brave families who are participating in the Field Test Boycott of October 2012 [2]
[1] For more information on the evidence of standardized testing, see our
wiki [http://edu4-high-stakes-testing.wikispaces.com/).
[2] If you would like to continue this conversation, please visit
[http://www.education4.org] 
