Blog

TitleDateExcerpt
Changing a School Test Date for Religious or Medical ReasonsA request to change a school’s testing schedule for religious or medical reasons should be made early, calmly, and in writing. The process may involve the…
Finding New York’s State Test Opt-Out Form OnlineFor parents in New York, declining a state assessment can look harder than it should. The relevant form may sit several clicks away from the main district…
How to Check Test Accommodation Patterns in Your SchoolParents and educators may wonder whether students with disability are receiving test adjustments at unusually high rates, or whether some eligible students are…
High Test Scores and Property Values: What Families Should KnowIn some school districts, strong standardised-test results appear alongside higher property values. Families may see this pattern in listings, local media and…
A Calm Family Plan for the Weeks Before State TestingState testing can make ordinary family routines feel unusually high-stakes. Children may hear anxious conversations at school, see extra practice papers, or…
Why Test Pressure Can Narrow The ClassroomA broad curriculum gives students room to investigate, discuss, create, and connect ideas across subjects. Yet some teachers report being told to “teach to the…
Requesting New York Testing Records Through Open FOILParents, teachers and residents can use New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to seek public records about testing, assessment contracts and district…
Questions That Reveal A Candidate’s Testing Reform PositionA school board candidate forum can reveal far more than whether someone supports or opposes standardised testing. The useful answers explain how a candidate…
Helping teens understand Regents exams and diploma requirementsWhen a teenager in year 12 hears about "the big test," panic often follows. Whether your teen sits the Higher School Certificate in Sydney, the VCE in…
Why the opt-out movement took hold in select New York countiesAfter New York adopted stricter standardised assessments in the early 2010s, hundreds of thousands of families chose to keep their children home on testing…
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