Citizens for Public Schools

CPS submitted public comment on proposed regulations to implement the Chapter 222 law on student discipline. The law attempts to ensure students facing exclusion from school have access to alternative educational programming so they can continue to make academic progress. It also aims to increase fairness and reduce the number and length of student exclusions. CPS and other groups weighed in to ensure regulations from the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education support these goals. Here are our comments:

Campaigns against the overuse and misuse of standardized testing are exploding across the nation. Many parents, teachers, students and activists agree that one-size-fits-all exams produce narrow, misleading snapshots of U.S. children and public schools. State and local policy makers are starting to heed their constituents’ message by reducing testing overkill.

Now, major groups seeking to overhaul assessment have allied to help win more policy changes. Today, they announced the launch of “Testing Resistance & Reform Spring.” Citizens for Public Schools is proud to be a partner in this important campaign.

Testing Resistance & Reform Spring (TRRS) seeks to ensure that assessment contributes to all students having access to a high-quality education. The core theme is, “Enough is Enough: Less Testing, More Learning.” The alliance unites grassroots boycotts, rallies, opt-out organizing, town hall forums, petition drives and legislative campaigns around three fundamental goals:

• Stop high-stakes use of standardized tests;
•  Reduce the number of standardized exams; and
•   Replace multiple-choice tests with performance-based assessments.