National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) Biography
Con to the question "Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?"
"Beyond its basic testing mandates, NCLB begot a seemingly endless proliferation of tests and ways to use them: standardized tests in more subjects, interim and benchmark tests. It spawned so-called 'formative' tests, which are supposed to help improve instruction but mostly take more time away from it. NCLB also fed the growth of a hugely profitable testing industry, increasing its bottom line while student achievement on NAEP [National Assessment of Educational Progress] leveled off and achievement gaps stagnated."
Lisa Guisbond with Monty Neill and Bob Schaeffer (on behalf of FairTest), NCLB’s Lost Decade for Educational Progress: What Can We Learn from this Policy Failure?, FairTest.org, Jan. 2012
Organizations/VIPs/Others Individuals and organizations that do not fit into the other star categories.
"The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) advances quality education and equal opportunity by promoting fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial evaluations of students, teachers and schools. FairTest also works to end the misuses and flaws of testing practices that impede those goals.
We place special emphasis on eliminating the racial, class, gender, and cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized tests, and preventing their damage to the quality of education. Based on Goals and Principles, we provide information, technical assistance and advocacy on a broad range of testing concerns, focusing on three areas: K-12, university admissions, and employment tests.
FairTest publishes a regular electronic newsletter, The Examiner, plus a full catalog of materials on both K- 12 and university testing to aid teachers, administrators, students, parents and researchers. FairTest also has numerous fact sheets available to educate you on standardized testing and alternative assessment."
"About FairTest," FairTest.org (accessed May 16, 2012)
"The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) works to end the misuses and flaws of standardized testing and to ensure that evaluation of students, teachers and schools is fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial."