Student Performance Testing

AFT on Nomination of Dr. Miguel Cardona as Education Secretary

Tue, 12/22/2020 - 3:00pm
WASHINGTON — American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel issued the following statement after President-elect Joe Biden nominated Miguel A. Cardona to be the next U.S. secretary of education:
 

Anxiety and Trauma Top Challenges Facing Students, Survey Finds

Wed, 02/19/2020 - 6:30pm
HARTFORD - Connecticut is ranked among the best states in the country for K-12 education; however, findings from a new 2020 CEA/AFT CT/WFSB survey should raise alarms. Teachers increasingly find themselves in unsafe work environments, encountering more children impacted by trauma or anxiety, and dealing with a persistent shortage of school counselors, social workers and other supports necessary for their students.
 
Click here for an executive summary of the results.
 

Educators Respond to Growing Stress on the Job

Thu, 11/30/2017 - 6:30pm
A survey of nearly 5,000 public school educators released last month by our national union found rates of anxiety to be twice those of working people in other professions. Most respondents said they face disrespect by local, state and federal policymakers and elected officials. By contrast, educators in school districts that foster collaboration reported lower stress levels and higher retention rates. The results mirror those of a survey of AFT Connecticut-affiliated union members conducted earlier this summer.
 
Click here for a full report on the national survey's results.
 

Achieving More "Fair and Equitable Evaluation Practices"

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 3:30pm
State school officials last week took a major step toward empowering teachers to be more effective in the classroom by eliminating the use of mastery examination scores in educator evaluations. The move will benefit students by prioritizing instructional emphasis on deep issue knowledge and analytical skills over test preparation. The April 5 vote by the State Board of Education's (SBOE) followed years of advocacy by a diverse coalition of stakeholders, including AFT Connecticut-affiliated union members.
 

Comments on Court Decision in Historic State Education Funding Case

Wed, 09/07/2016 - 6:00pm
Jan Hochadel, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks on today's Superior Court decision in Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) v. Rell, which challenged the constitutionality of the state's PreK-12 finance system:
 

Building the Movement to Reclaim Our Schools

Wed, 08/10/2016 - 12:30pm
Nearly 3,000 delegates to our national union's convention last month heard advocates share their conviction in the value of building community-level coalitions to achieve true educational justice in America. It's an approach long-embraced by members of AFT Connecticut-affiliated unions — which will again be demonstrated in October during coordinated local actions to "reclaim our schools" across the state.
 
Click here for more on the October 6 "walk-ins."
 

New Federal Testing Proposals: Praise, Caution & Action

Mon, 07/18/2016 - 5:30pm
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) earlier this month proposed rules regarding student testing under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the nation's new law governing public education. Included in the July 7 announcement were plans for a pilot program that states will likely be able to apply for in the coming school year. The news drew both caution and praise from union leaders -- along with a renewed call to action ensuring that the law's promise as a "reset" of federal education policy continues.
 

Comments on Lawmakers' Action to Decouple Standardized Tests from Teacher Evaluations

Fri, 03/18/2016 - 4:30pm
AFT Connecticut leaders made the following remarks on passage in the General Assembly’s education committee of legislation excluding student performance data on the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) from teacher performance assessments:
 

Every Student Succeeds Act Ushers in Sweeping Changes

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 4:30pm
President Barack Obama yesterday signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law, enacting the most positive changes in nearly two decades to Pre-K through college public education policy. The new law, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Elementary Education Act (ESEA), marks the end to the top-down accountability in place since the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
 
Click here for more on how the new law impacts states and local districts.
 

Comments on Release of Smarter Balanced Test Scores

Fri, 08/28/2015 - 2:00pm
Jan Hochadel, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks in response to students' Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) standardized test scores released today by the state Department of Education (SDE):
 
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