For more information, contact:

Chris Williams
651-292-4816 (work)
651-245-5539 (cell)

Doug Dooher
651-292-4820 (work)
651-245-6141 (cell)

ST. PAUL, Minn. Sept. 2, 2015 – A report from Education Minnesota’s new Educator Policy Innovation Center provides guidance for the public and policymakers as they consider changing the rules for standardized testing in Minnesota schools.

The report will be released at a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7, at the Education Minnesota booth in the Education Building at the Minnesota State Fair. It will be simultaneously posted on the Education Minnesota website.

The U.S. Congress is re-writing the federal No Child Left Behind law, which in 2001 created the current test-and-punish system. As the House and Senate reconcile their bills, it is clear the final bill will grant states more control over the operation of their schools.

The report, “Testing Better: How to Improve Minnesota’s Use of Assessments in Education,” will help inform and guide the debate as Minnesota wrestles with the difficult question of how to best prepare all its students for successful lives. The report includes guiding principles, such as:

• Students deserve a broad curriculum that isn’t narrowed by an overemphasis on preparing for high-stakes standardized tests in reading and math.
• Assessment should measure the full scope and depth of student learning, which cannot be accurately evaluated with multiple-choice tests.
• Standardized testing should be less disruptive than the current system of testing in third to eighth grades and once in high school. Important information about equity gaps can be gained without losing so much class time to assessments.
• Changes in student test scores are only one measure of quality teaching.

Education Minnesota created EPIC to bring together teams of experienced educators to provide research-proven solutions to the challenges facing Minnesota schools. The eight authors of the testing paper have more than 200 years of teaching experience. They work with a broad range of students in various jobs, including classroom teachers, teaching coaches, testing specialists and interventionists. EPIC will release additional reports on education topics in the future.

Visuals
Presenters will the note activities and booths in the Education Building that are relevant to the debate on standardized testing, including displays of art and applied robotics and the booth of a college that no longer requires an ACT score for admission.

Logistics

What: The Educator Policy Innovation Center releases a report on testing reform.
When: 10:30 a.m., Sept. 7, Labor Day
Where: Education Minnesota booth, Education Building, just north of Dan Patch Avenue on Cosgrove Street, Minnesota State Fair.
Who: Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota; Annette Walen, report co-author and elementary teacher in the Osseo School District; Carrie Lucking, director of policy, research and outreach for Education Minnesota.

About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota represents 70,000 professionals working together for excellence in education for all students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.