DENVER—The House Education Committee killed a measure Monday that would have suspended statewide student writing tests for two years and saved the state an estimated $6 million a year, after opponents said they were afraid the state would lose federal funding.
The plan to save money would have halted the writing test in grades 3-10; reading and math tests in grade 9; and reading, math and science tests in grade 10.
Supporters said the tests are not required by the federal government and are unnecessary.
Tests that must be administered under federal guidelines include reading and math in grades 3-8; a science test in one of the grades 3-5 and another in grades 6-9; and reading, math and science in 10th grade.
School districts say they spend thousands of dollars administering the tests, ranging from $80,000 in the Harrison school district to $25,000 in Mesa County, $24,000 in Lewis-Palmer, $30,000 in Moffat, $30,000 in Eagle and $5,000 in Greeley, even though school districts are facing major budget deficits.
Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton, said the federal government should pick up the tab if statewide student testing is going to be required for federal aid. She said Colorado is one of only 13 states that administer more tests than the federal government requires.
Opponents said the state risks losing millions of dollars in federal aid that would be withheld for up to two years while the U.S. Department of Education decides whether changes to Colorado’s plan meet federal testing requirements.
They said data currently being kept on each student to develop personal improvement plans would also be lost.
“With this bill, we’re playing chicken with our children’s achievement,” said Rep. Carole Murray, R-Castle Rock.
Solano said there is no evidence that the tests have improved student achievement over the past 11 years.
According to Solano, the state spent $18 million for tests from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, including $9.3 million for scoring and reporting, $560,000 for analysis, $4.7 million for printing and distribution, $760,000 for training and $2.7 million to develop and assemble the tests.
