NPE Friends & Allies: FairTest – The National Center for Fair & Open Testing
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) advances quality education and equal opportunity by promoting fair, open, valid and educationally beneficial evaluations of students, teachers and schools. FairTest also works to end the misuses and flaws of testing practices that impede those goals.
We place special emphasis on eliminating the racial, class, gender, and cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized tests, and preventing their damage to the quality of education. Based on Goals and Principles, we provide information, technical assistance and advocacy on a broad range of testing concerns, focusing on three areas: K-12, university admissions, and employment tests.
FairTest publishes an electronic newsletter, The Examiner, plus a full catalog of materials on both K- 12 and university testing to aid teachers, administrators, students, parents and researchers. FairTest also has numerous fact sheets available to educate you on standardized testing and alternative assessment.
FairTest’s current projects include the following:
The Assessment Reform Network, aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among teachers, parents, education reform and civil rights organizations seeking to improve student assessment practices in their communities.
Creating a new framework for assessment through dissemination of Principles and Indicators for Student Assessment Systems
Uncovering the bias, misuses and coach ability of the SAT, ACT and similar college entrance exams
Stopping the misuses of SAT/ACT scores to determine eligibility for college financial aid such as National Collegiate Athletic Association’s initial eligibility rules (Propositions 48 and 16) and the National Merit Scholarship Competition
Promoting test score-optional policies for college admissions
Attacking the false notions that test scores equal merit
Exposing flawed employment tests, such as the National Teacher’s Exam (NTE), and advocating hiring and promotions systems based on genuine performance
FairTest is grateful for support from the Open Society Foundations, Bay and Paul Foundations, Schott Foundation, New World Foundation, Wiener Educational Foundation, National Education Association, other organizations, and many individual donors.