Afternoon Announcements: Chicago Students Boycott State Exam

A number of Chicago high school students plan to boycott a state exam, saying that it’s unfair that their results will be used to judge the quality of their school. Two student-led groups have organized the protest – Voices of Youth in Chicago Education and Chicago Students Organizing to Save Our Schools. WBEZ

House Republicans are asking questions about No Child Left Behind Waiver implementation. They’ve sent their questions to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, along with state chiefs who were approved for the flexibility from provisions in the law. Politics K-12

New research from the Pew Research Center shows that American students aren’t doing as poorly on international science tests as the public thinks. Many Americans surveyed incorrectly assumed that U.S. 15-year-olds scored near the bottom on international science tests. Huffington Post

An interesting feature looks into how standardized testing can help low-income students. It looks into the Atlanta teaching scandal, refuting the misplaced idea that teachers need to cheat in order for low-income students to “pass” exams. The Atlantic