APRIL 28, 2014Common Core testing goes smoothly but expenses mount
(Calif.) Despite a near-flawless rollout of a new, computerized student testing system aligned with the Common Core, school officials are still hoping a revenue boost for transition costs will be forthcoming when Gov. Jerry Brown releases his updated budget plan next month.
California this week crossed the halfway point in conducting field trials of its new assessments, when just over half of the three million students lined up for testing, completed the task. And, state officials report, there were few – if any – major technological issues.
“We’re just so pleased that things have been moving along efficiently and effectively,” the California Department of Education’s Deb Sigman said Friday. “We’re hearing good reports from the field and, anecdotally, we’re hearing good stories from the kids.”
California is among a group of 21 states working together as the Smarter Balanced coalition to design, produce and test new computer-aided assessments aligned to new Common Core State Standards.
While the state will spend about $150 million this year and next on the Smarter Balanced testing process, the actual cost to schools to transition to teaching new standards and administering assessments online has been estimated by CDE to be $3 billion. Others claim it could be as high as $6 billion.
Either way, the cost is well above the one-time allocation of $1.25 billion Brown included in his 2013-14 budget to help schools make the transition.
Brown’s proposed 2014-15 spending plan includes no new money for schools for Common Core Common Core testing goes smoothly but expenses mount :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:
Despite voter ban, state guide embraces bilingual ed
(Calif.) Updated guidance from the state on how to teach California’s estimated 1.3 million English learners relies heavily on a strategy largely prohibited by voters 16 years ago – bilingual education.
