Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Standardized testing

Technology issues

Chicago
Updated April 10, 2019

Internet failure interrupts ‘Zombie PARCC’ at some Chicago schools

An Internet outage Tuesday across Chicago Public Schools forced several campuses to suspend administration of a state standardized test nicknamed the “Zombie PARCC.”

Survey Results

Tennessee
December 19, 2018

Hundreds of teachers describe TNReady testing confusion, chaos in new report

The problems that plagued online testing in Tennessee schools this year are no secret. But a new 1,700-page report gives what…

istep update

Indiana
September 10, 2018

Number of students impacted by ISTEP grading problem grows to nearly 28,000

Because of an issue grading a graphing question on the 10th grade math test, 27,813 students will see their test scores increase, the state said.

Q&A

Tennessee
June 27, 2018

Tennessee teachers have a new voice. Meet the next leader of the state’s largest teacher group

When Beth Brown takes office July 1 as the new president of the Tennessee Education Association, she’ll become the youngest elected leader of…

Taking a hit

Tennessee
May 14, 2018

By getting testing wrong again, Tennessee could undo what it may be getting right

Many stakeholders worry that public outcry over this year’s sloppy TNReady testing will unravel years of carefully crafted accountability systems.

Rounding a corner

Tennessee
May 2, 2018

After two rocky weeks, Tennessee testing settles down for the homestretch

Students tackling online state exams relish a stretch of normalcy this week after days of technical problems with TNReady.

deja vu

Tennessee
April 16, 2018

TNReady is back online, and technical problems are back too

Tennessee's return to statewide online testing starts off bumpy, but state officials promise it will go better on Tuesday.

Back online

Tennessee
April 12, 2018

Two years after massive testing snafus, Tennessee will test more students online than ever

TNReady begins April 16 and ends May 4, with high schoolers easing Tennessee back into statewide online testing.

study says...

New York
December 15, 2017

In new study of school-district effectiveness, New York City falls just below national average

New York City students make about 4.6 grade levels of progress in five years -- landing New York in the 35th percentile of districts nationally.

Testing Time

Tennessee
May 9, 2017

TNReady took almost twice as long as Tennessee tests in 2012. Here’s why.

Elementary and middle school students took about eight hours of end-of-year tests this year, an amount consistent with national trends toward longer tests.

Testing

Tennessee
May 8, 2017

McQueen declares TNReady a ‘success.’ Here’s what comes next for Tennessee.

After a non-eventful testing period with the state's new test, Tennessee is marching ahead with its plan to test all high school students online next year.

day one

Tennessee
April 17, 2017

Unlike last year, TNReady testing starts without hiccups in Tennessee

On the first day of the state's testing window, nearly 11,000 students use a new online system without issue.

By the numbers

New York
March 29, 2017

Early reports indicate New York opt-out rates are decreasing statewide, a possible sign of eased tension

The number of families refusing to take the controversial tests seems to have decreased slightly in Rochester, the Hudson Valley, Buffalo and Albany.

test prep

New York
March 27, 2017

To test or not to test? That’s the question families face as students head into state exams this week

Here’s what you need to know as students start taking English exams on Tuesday.

more tweaks

Tennessee
March 16, 2017

For third straight year, TNReady prompts Tennessee to adjust teacher evaluation formula

The State Department of Education is asking for another change to teacher evaluations in response to last year’s test cancellation of TNReady.
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