These are tense days for Colorado’s schoolchildren: It’s CSAP time. Students in every district are taking a series of math, reading, writing and science tests this month as part of the Colorado Student Assessment Program.
The tests are designed to measure how well students in third through 10th grades meet state standards. They can produce loads of anxiety for students and teachers because schools that repeatedly perform poorly can face sanctions, such as a cut in federal funding.
While students spend this month concentrating on their performance, we urge state leaders to concentrate on ways to make CSAPs and the state’s overall accountability system more relevant for parents and schools.
Last month, the state legislature and Gov. Bill Ritter took a big step forward by approving a system that better tracks academic progress on the CSAP tests.
The system will measure the yearly progress of each student – a more useful way to track achievement than the current snapshot of a school results. By showing individual progress, it will also give an overall look at how a school helps a child progress. Ideally, it also will give teachers a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of their incoming students.
The Piton Foundation has commissioned an audit of Colorado’s testing system, exploring such questions as: What was the system set up to do? Do we have too many tests? How does testing measure the quality of schools? At what cost?
Ten years into CSAPs, those are vital questions to answer, especially since lawmakers tinker with the system year after year. “It’s an opportunity as a state to step back and ask, ‘Are we getting out of this system what we want? Will it ultimately get more students to have the skills in reading, writing, math and science that we want?’ I’m not sure that we are” getting that now, said Van Schoales of Piton.
The State Board of Education will select a new education commissioner this year. That person can show leadership in this arena by assessing the program and making sure districts and parents are receiving the data that’s helpful to improving student achievement.
Colorado’s accountability system continues to be a work in progress, which is appropriate. This month, the focus is on the students and testing.
We wish them well.
