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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Valerie Strauss: Growing Number of States Want Waivers from Annual Testing | Diane Ravitch's blog

Valerie Strauss: Growing Number of States Want Waivers from Annual Testing | Diane Ravitch's blog
Valerie Strauss: Growing Number of States Want Waivers from Annual Testing


Valerie Strauss writes in her Washington Post blog called “The Answer Sheet” about the growing number of states that want waivers from the federal requirement for annual testing. DeVos granted waivers last year but said she would not do it again. But she will be gone. Now it is up to Joe Biden and Miguel Cardona to decide whether it is wise to subject students to high-stakes standardized tests in a year where schools have repeatedly opened and closed, beloved teachers have died, family members have fallen ill, and many families are without food or a secure home.

I am sorry that the Secretary of Education-in-waiting describes the standardized tests as “an accurate tool,” because the only thing they accurately measure is family income, disability status, and English language proficiency. There are cheaper ways to get this information than to subject millions of children to useless standardized tests of reading and mathematics The tests are completely useless and provide no information to teachers about student progress: None. As Strauss points out, the results come in months after the tests were given, the students have different teachers, the teachers seldom see the questions and are not allowed to discuss them, and they never discover how their CONTINUE READING: Valerie Strauss: Growing Number of States Want Waivers from Annual Testing | Diane Ravitch's blog