(2015/05/22) The revolt against high stakes testing (Education)

Edition #924

Today we look at the growing backlash against high stakes standardized testing that seem to have a whole lot of problems and very few benefits

 

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

00:00:30 Ch. 2: Act 1: Why some students are refusing to take the Common Core test - PBS @NewsHour - Air Date: 03-11-15

Ch. 3: Song 1: Standardized Test - Lucas Grein

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00:09:15 Ch. 4: Act 2: High stakes tests set people up for failure - @Radio_Dispatch - Air Date: 4-15-15

Ch. 5: Song 2: The Card Cheat - The Clash

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00:24:32 Ch. 6: Act 3: High Stakes Testing for High Stakes Economy - The F Word with @GRITlaura Flanders - Air Date: 3-31-15

Ch. 7: Song 3: Revolution (Human Need Over Profit) - Tha Truth

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00:27:47 Ch. 8: Act 4: Standardized Testing - @LastWeekTonight with @iamjohnoliver - Air Date: 5-3-15

Ch. 9: Song 4: Theme (From "the Curse of Monkey Island") - London Music Works

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00:46:36 Ch. 10: Act 5: Roll Back Standardized Testing & Support #OptOut — Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 11: Song 5: Time for Action - the Very Best Of - Secret Affair

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00:49:54 Ch. 12: Act 6: Atlanta Educators Sentenced To An Obscene 20 Years - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 04-09-15

Ch. 13: Song 6: No Justice,No Peace - Wackiavelli

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00:57:31 Ch. 14: Act 7: A look at the conviction of teacher for a cheating scandal - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date: 4-17-15

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Voicemails

01:00:38 Ch. 16: Gender is not nearly as rigid as we think it is - Dustin from Arizona

01:03:28 Ch. 17: There are ways to educate yourself on trans issues - Erin from Philadelphia

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

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01:10:35 Ch. 18: Final comments on the old skill I've recently dusted off

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

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Activism: Roll Back Standardized Testing & Support #OptOut

Update: Assessment Reform in Education

FairTest’s opt-out state contacts

Search to find and support test-optional colleges

Follow-up/new Action!

Add your name: "Write Congress to demand less testing, an end to high stakes.”

Support Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)’s Student Testing Improvement and Accountability Act! Use ContactingTheCongress.Org to tell your senators to sign on as co-sponsors and to vote yes.

Sources/further reading:

"Tester Pushes Overhaul of No Child Left Behind Testing Policy” via Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)

“Are Teachers Ok With Opt-Outs?” — hear from teachers on the subject via EdWeek Teacher

“Stop the Testing Circus” via US News

"Opt-Out Parents Have a Point” via US News

"What Happens When Students Boycott a Standardized Test?” by Laura McKenna at The Atlantic

Revisit the original action/segment:

"Assessment Reform via @FairTestOffice - Best of the Left Activism” via Episode #871 "Your child is a widget (Education)” 10/24/2014

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

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Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

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