Event puts state's school testing to the test

Capital Region educators, parents and activists concerned about the state's high-stakes school testing program will gather from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 3 at California State University, Sacramento's Union Ballroom.

The conference will feature Harold Berlak, a founder of the National Coalition of Educational Activists and an expert on assessment policy, who will give the keynote address.

Organizers say California's school testing program in itself is not a comprehensive or meaningful way to measure academic achievement or future success in the workplace. They argue the testing leads schools to ignore subjects that aren't on the tests, such as the arts and foreign languages. They also say the testing program erodes local control of school curriculum.
The event is funded in part by local schoolteachers, who donated bonus checks they received for their schools' improvement in the Academic Performance Index.

Admission to the event is free, and free parking is available near the Union.

More information is available by contacting Karen Benson, CSUS professor of teacher education and a member of the Fair Assessment Network, at (916) 278-5923. Media assistance is available from the CSUS public affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

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For further information send E-Mail to infodesk@csus.edu or contact
Public Affairs (916) 278-6156.

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