- The push to opt out of standardized tests began as a point of protest for parents, but ended up as a student-led movement. (The Atlantic)
- Why Common Core math is like baking: learning a series of calculations like steps in a recipe doesn’t always help you understand why the ingredients work the way they do. (Vox)
- New York City charter network Success Academy’s devotion to test preparation has in part led to results that far outpace citywide averages on state exams. But the charter-school network’s methods and culture are not for everyone. (New York Times)
- On the fiftieth anniversary of the legislation that became No Child Left Behind, which greatly expanded the federal role in education, a look at how far education policy has moved away from Lyndon Johnson’s anti-poverty goals. (The Atlantic)
- By age 2 1/2, the achievement gap between Mexican-American children born in the U.S. and white children is up to five months when it comes to vocabulary and pre-literacy skills. (NPR)
- By approaching school discipline through helping students cope with trauma, schools can catch the problem before it results in a suspension or expulsion. (Hechinger Report)
- Most teachers who cheat on standardized tests never get caught, and those who do rarely face consequences as severe as those who will serve prison time in Atlanta. (Marshall Project)
- Testing critics who argue that high-profile families like the Obamas have opted out of high-stakes testing by sending students to private schools often ignore that those schools require standardized tests for admission. (Education Post)
Weekend Reading: How students took over the opt-out movement
Seniors at Fairview High School in Boulder protested a standardized test in November 2014. (Photo by Nic Garcia/Chalkbeat)