More Teaching, Less Testing: End Over-Testing in Schools

WHEREAS, all children deserve a rich, meaningful public education that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges that await them as contributing members of a democratic society and a global economy; and

WHEREAS, educators are called to this profession by a singular purpose: an unwavering, unequivocal commitment to our students’ learning, well‐being and potential. Our members do their jobs because they want to prepare students for future success; and

WHEREAS, the deeper learning we strive for is too often lacking the necessary support to make implementation a reality—and eclipsed by the misuse and overuse of standardized assessments required by policymakers fixated on accountability above all else; and

WHEREAS, the coupling of state standards and assessments to measure and report student and school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act narrowed curricula across the country; and

WHEREAS, the current test‐and‐punish accountability system has squeezed out vital parts of the curriculum that are not subjected to accountability testing, sacrificed student learning time to testing and test preparation, and has forced teachers—particularly those teaching our most vulnerable students—to focus their attention on students achieving just below the passing score; and

WHEREAS, despite a laudatory goal of shining the light on student needs, this emphasis on tests and accountability took us in another direction, away from valuing the essential skills of persistence, critical thinking and collaboration; and

WHEREAS, even under the heavy weight of federal testing requirements, many schools at all levels have implemented best practices in education—such as interdisciplinary, inquiry and project‐based learning and career and technical education programs across a wide range of subjects and skills—that support the whole child; there is a better way:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will call on state and federal policymakers to affirm our commitment to a public education system that reflects the diversity of children’s experiences and abilities, allows students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do throughout a child’s academic career, and ensure educational excellence and equity for every student; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support legislation that promotes improved assessments and accountability; allows states more flexibility to administer and design assessment systems that support teaching and learning; eliminates the current federally mandated testing schedule for summative assessments in math, reading and language arts, and science; and establishes options such as grade‐span testing, representative sampling, and combination testing; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to work with our local affiliates and state federations to mobilize members and support an education system that fosters joy, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity in every classroom; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will advocate for multiple pathways to graduation that may include, but are not limited to, the inclusion of performance‐based measures that demonstrate the full spectrum of student experiences and learning; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support policies that prohibit the use of federally mandated assessments as the sole or dominant factor for retention policies, program placement, high school graduation decisions, teacher evaluations, or school rating systems; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT remains committed to ending the overemphasis on high‐stakes testing that has harmed children’s learning experiences for far too long.