Allied Groups Fight Testing of All Students
A coalition of education, civil rights and advocacy groups Tuesday called on Congress to reject President Bush’s plan for nationwide testing of all schoolchildren.
“We already know the results of most tests,” said Monty Neill of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, FairTest, which initiated a letter that was mailed to every member of Congress.
“On average, poor, inner-city children, particularly African-American and Latino students, score the lowest. The South, which remains the nation’s poorest region, scores lower than other regions. Upper-income, predominantly white areas score the highest.”
Neill said that “other reforms, such as new curricula standards, improved instructional methods and financial resources, must be in place” before nationwide testing can be beneficial to education.
The letter was signed by leaders of 25 organizations, including the American Assn. of School Administrators, the Center for Women Policy Studies, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Alliance of Black School Educators, National Assn. of Elementary School Principals, National Council of La Raza, National PTA and Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.
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