GOAL OF THE SUCCESS-READY STUDENTS NETWORK (SRSN): DUMP STANDARDIZED TESTING
THE SUCCESS-READY STUDENTS NETWORK (SRSN): SOUNDS LIKE A NEW PRIVATIZER FRONT GROUP BUT IS IT?
In a move that has left educators and students alike cheering, a network of 20 Missouri school districts has decided to dump standardized testing and embrace innovation. Yes, you heard it right. The days of filling in bubbles and sweating over multiple-choice questions are finally over. It's time to celebrate!
The districts have requested that the state implement a more responsive assessment system that will personalize student learning. Instead of annual standardized testing, assessments will be administered multiple times a year to access real-time results. This means that students will no longer have to wait months to find out how they've performed, and teachers will be able to adjust their teaching strategies in real-time.
The schools are part of the Success-Ready Students Network, which includes a mix of rural and urban campuses with a wide range of student performance scores and poverty rates. The innovation waivers are intended to boost student performance and benefit educators by giving schools the room to implement unique strategies. The plan is for a new cohort of districts to use the innovation waivers each school year until the entire state is involved.
But let's be real. The best part about this news is that we can finally say goodbye to standardized testing. No more filling in bubbles until our fingers cramp up. No more sweating over multiple-choice questions that seem designed to trick us. No more feeling like our academic worth is reduced to a single test score.
Instead, we can look forward to assessments that are designed to help us learn, not just measure our knowledge. We can look forward to teachers who have the freedom to teach in ways that work best for their students, not just teach to the test. We can look forward to a future where education is about more than just test scores.
And let's not forget the other benefits of this move. Standardized tests have been criticized for sucking up too much time, being culturally biased, and doing little to improve students' academic outcomes. With these new assessments, we can finally put those criticisms to rest.
Of course, there will always be some who cling to the old ways. They'll argue that standardized testing is necessary to ensure accountability, or that it's the only way to measure student achievement. But let's be real. Standardized testing is like a bad ex-boyfriend. Sure, it might seem familiar and comfortable, but it's not good for us. It's time to move on.
So let's raise a glass (of apple juice, of course) to the Missouri school districts who have embraced innovation and said goodbye to standardized testing. Here's hoping that other states will follow suit, and that we can finally create an education system that works for everyone.
20 Missouri school districts seek 'innovation waivers' to move away from state tests • Missouri Independent https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/14/20-missouri-school-districts-seek-innovation-waivers-to-move-away-from-state-tests/
Success Ready Students | Home https://www.srsnmo.org/
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BARD AI
The Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN) is a statewide initiative in Missouri that is working to support a long-term transition to competency-based learning (CBL) in public schools. CBL is an approach to education that focuses on mastery of learning objectives, rather than time spent in school.
The SRSN is funded by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), as well as by private foundations. The purpose of the SRSN is to help Missouri schools make the transition to CBL by providing them with resources, training, and support.
The SRSN has four main goals:
- * To support the redesigning and building of reimagined assessment and accreditation systems.
- * To convene Innovation Zones where public school educators, partners and stakeholders can engage in high-quality professional learning.
- * To engage the business community to support business-to-education partnerships that create real-world learning opportunities for students.
- * To establish a Steering Committee to develop and recommend policy changes based on statewide study and research.
The SRSN does not have a specific stance on standardized testing. However, the network believes that assessment should be used to support learning, not to punish students. The SRSN supports the use of formative assessments, which are used to provide feedback to students and teachers on their progress.
The SRSN is a collaborative effort that brings together a variety of stakeholders, including educators, businesses, and policymakers. The network is committed to helping Missouri schools create a more equitable and effective education system for all students.
Here are some of the benefits of competency-based learning:
- * It allows students to learn at their own pace and focus on the skills they need to master.
- * It provides more flexibility for students, allowing them to take courses and pursue interests that they are passionate about.
- * It can help to reduce dropout rates, as students are more likely to stay engaged in school when they are learning at their own pace and working towards mastery of specific skills.
- * It can help to prepare students for college and the workforce, as it focuses on the skills that are needed in those settings.
However, there are also some challenges associated with competency-based learning, such as:
- * It can be difficult to implement, as it requires a significant change in the way that schools are structured and operate.
- * It can be expensive, as it requires new assessments and other resources.
- * It can be difficult to measure student progress, as mastery of learning objectives can be subjective.
Overall, competency-based learning is a promising approach to education that has the potential to improve student outcomes. However, it is important to be aware of the challenges involved in implementing this approach before making a decision to adopt it.
FROM BING AI
The Success-Ready Schools Network (SRSN) is a collaborative initiative that connects the Missouri public school community. The SRSN’s goal is to build the capacity of these stakeholders to understand and use a competency-based mind-set to personalize learning in ways that ensure every student has the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to be high school, college, career and workplace ready¹. The SRSN was formed in 2022 by the Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven and supported by various statewide education organizations⁶. The SRSN supports redesigning and building reimagined assessment and accreditation systems, convening innovation zones, engaging the business community, and establishing a steering committee to recommend policy changes⁶.
The SRSN is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, which supports evidence-based innovation to improve student achievement and access to education opportunities. The grant amount is $12.5 million over five years, starting from 2022. The grant will help the SRSN expand its network of schools and districts, provide professional development and coaching, and evaluate the impact of competency-based learning on student outcomes.
The SRSN is also seeking an innovation waiver from the state Board of Education to change the testing requirements for its participating schools and districts. The SRSN wants to move away from the state’s annual standardized testing to assessments that would be administered multiple times a year, in order to provide more timely and relevant feedback to students and teachers². The SRSN believes that the current testing system does not reflect the competency-based approach that focuses on mastery of skills and knowledge rather than seat time⁶. The state Board of Education is considering the SRSN's proposal at its Aug. 15 meeting².
Bing, 8/15/2023
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- (2) Our Story | Success Ready Students. https://www.srsnmo.org/page/our-story.
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- (5) Why 20 Missouri School Districts Are Seeking New ‘Innovation Waivers .... https://www.the74million.org/article/why-20-missouri-school-districts-are-seeking-new-innovation-waivers-to-rethink-the-way-they-test-students/.
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- (8) CAMPUS NETWORKING - K-12 EDUCATION Making your school network future-ready. https://www.delltechnologies.com/asset/en-us/products/networking/briefs-summaries/dell_education_networking_k12_brochure.pdf.
- (9) How School Networks Work And Why That’s Important. https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/02/14/how-school-networks-work-and-why-thats-important/.
- (10) 8th graders at NYC Success Academy pass majority of Regents - New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/8th-graders-at-nyc-success-academy-pass-majority-of-regents/.
- (11) Standardized tests aren’t the problem, it’s how we use them. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/standardized-tests-arent-the-problem-its-how-we-use-them/.
- (12) Examining the Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing - ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/examining-the-pros-and-cons-of-standardized-testing-3194596.
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- (14) Future of Testing in Education: Effective and Equitable Assessment .... https://www.americanprogress.org/article/future-testing-education-effective-equitable-assessment-systems/.
The Success-Ready Schools Network (SRSN) is supported by the following foundations and individuals that provide grants:
- - The U.S. Department of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, which awarded the SRSN a grant of $12.5 million over five years, starting from 2022¹. The EIR program supports evidence-based innovation to improve student achievement and access to education opportunities².
- - The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which oversees the implementation and evaluation of the SRSN grant and provides guidance and technical assistance to the participating schools and districts¹. The DESE also collaborates with the SRSN to engage stakeholders in redesigning and building reimagined assessment and accreditation systems, convening innovation zones, engaging the business community, and establishing a steering committee to recommend policy changes.
- - The Missouri School Board Association, Missouri Association of School Administrators, Education Plus, Greater Ozark Cooperating School Districts, and Greater Kansas City Cooperating School Districts, which supported the creation of the Success-Ready Students Work Group (SRSWG) in 2022. The SRSWG was formed by the Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven to explore alternatives that replace the traditional time-based educational system with a competency-based system. These organizations also helped recruit members from various stakeholder groups, including students, parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, business persons and higher education.
- - The business community, which supports business to education partnerships (B2E) including creation of a B2E Blue Ribbon Commission of business leaders to energize competency-based learning and real world learning opportunities for all Missouri public school students. Some examples of business partners are Boeing, Cerner Corporation, Edward Jones, Emerson Electric Co., Hallmark Cards Inc., Monsanto Company, and Sprint Corporation.
Bing, 8/15/2023
- (1) Our Story | Success Ready Students. https://www.srsnmo.org/page/our-story.
- (2) Success Ready Students | Home. https://www.srsnmo.org/.
- (3) Our Story | Success Ready Students. https://www.srsnmo.org/page/our-story.
