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Home > About CES > Testing Statement > About Action Kit
| For Immediate Release |
Contact: [name] |
| [date] |
Phone: [phone number] |
[School/District] [Title] Endorses National Call to End Standardized, "High-Stakes" Testing
Joins educators around the nation in backing statement by national school reform group, the Coalition of Essential Schools, seeking more accurate, localized assessment
[City or town] - [Name and Title] today joined a growing number of U.S. superintendents, principals and teachers in endorsing a statement calling for an end to "high-stakes" testing -- standardized tests that prohibit a student from graduating or advancing to the next grade. Instead, it promotes the use of broader, deeper and locally crafted measurements as more challenging and accurate demonstrations of student achievement.
The statement, issued by the Coalition of Essential Schools, a leading, national school reform group, signifies a growing resistance to the trend toward using bureaucratically-administered, one-size-fits-all tests to determine student advancement[, if applicable] such as [your state's high-stakes test].
"The results come without any context about the student or school, and the measurements are too narrow to wield that kind of power," said [last name]. "There are many more aptitudes than those tests investigate. We allow that people with different physical capabilities may be called athletes, and we should do the same with students and test accordingly."
Coalition of Essential Schools Statement on High Stakes Testing:
The Coalition of Essential Schools believes that standardized test scores should never stand as the sole measure of students' knowledge, understanding, and performance. We are therefore opposed to "high-stakes" tests - tests that prohibit a student from graduating or advancing to the next grade.
We believe schools, teachers, and students themselves can and should be held accountable for their performance as assessed by high standards. However, we assert that standardized tests do not adequately reflect students' true proficiencies. Further, an emphasis on such tests diverts scarce funds and energy away from the high quality teaching and resources that promote active engagement and critical thinking and toward test preparation materials and "practice" activities.
The Coalition of Essential Schools affirms that tests and other assessments should support instruction and should not interrupt effective learning strategies. We actively promote the widespread adoption of multiple measures and performance-based assessments as more challenging and accurate demonstrations of student achievement.
How do I use it? Copy and paste the above template into a new, blank word processing document. Modify the template to represent you and your local school(s) with any relevant information or issues that relate to high-stakes testing in your area. Then disseminate your press release to local, state and national media outlets.
Page last updated: May 20, 2004
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