Educators and Parents Demand Less Testing … and Lawmakers Listen
With congressional efforts underway to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, a burgeoning movement of educators, school administrators, parents and students has blossomed in the fight against high-stakes standardized testing. Consequently, some school trustees, state and local policymakers are finally deciding to let students learn and let teachers teach.
In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation in April to eliminate at least one exam and delay the release of school grades until other exams are deemed valid. The Florida Education Association (FEA) and United Teachers of Dade (UTD) had rallied members, lobbied legislators, and worked with parent groups to limit the use of standardized tests.
“It’s time for a new accountability system,” says UTD President Federick Ingram. “One that reduces high stakes testing and uses multiple measures to gauge student progress.”
Miami-Dade, the nation’s fourth largest school district, recently slashed the number of district end-of-course exams from 300 to 10, with other Florida districts taking similar actions. The new law also reduced the weight of student test scores on teacher evaluations from 50 percent to one third.
This month, a new bill to prioritize more class time for teaching was approved by the Colorado General Assembly.
“I’m pleased our legislators moved on the public outcry to dial back the amount of testing,” says Kerrie Dallman, president of the Colorado Education Association (CEA). The bill eliminates Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers (PARCC) testing in the 10th through 12th grades, takes steps to alleviate testing for English language learners, and streamlines School Readiness and READ Act testing to give more instruction time to students in kindergarten through third grade.
The CEA worked closely with the bill sponsors throughout the current session, reiterating strong sentiments expressed by educators, parents and voters to end excessive standardized testing.
Capping the Amount of Testing Time
Further north, a grassroots movement has been gaining momentum in Minnesota and in places like Hazelwood, Mo., where more than 300 educators, parents, and students assembled for a highly charged board meeting carrying signs which read, “Let Teachers Teach.” Supported by Hazelwood NEA (HNEA), the crowd handed out Educators and Parents Demand Less Testing … and Lawmakers Listen - NEA Today:
