In the strongest sign yet that a measure to reduce student testing touted by Gov. John Hickenlooper is likely dead, House lawmakers introduced an entirely new bill Monday.
House Bill 1323 is designed to move the issue forward after the original measure — — , despite support from the Democratic governor, Senate President Bill Cadman and House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst.
The new legislation takes an “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” approach with a few tweaks.
Like SB 215, the House version eliminates state-mandates testings for 11th and 12th graders; preserves the ACT college entrance exam; streamlines school-readiness tests for kindergartners; adjusts the schedule for READ Act assessments; and provides paper-and-pencil testing options.
But where it goes further are provisions designed to reduce opt-outs and hold schools “harmless from penalties under the school and district performance accountability standards” through the end of the 2015-2016 school year, according to a statement from House Democratic caucus. The actual bill didn’t immediately appear on the legislative website.
Another part of the House bill excludes non-English proficient students performance on language arts assessments from being counted toward accountability measures until their third year in Colorado schools.
Democratic Rep. John Buckner of Aurora and Republican Rep. Jim Wilson of Salida, the ranking members on the House Education Committee are the bill’s sponsors. They also co-sponsored the original Senate bill.
“The House is taking a leadership role to implement a series of sensible reforms that will streamline our standardized testing while still providing an objective measurement of student achievement and holding schools and education professionals accountable for student success,” Buckner said in a prepared statement released by the Democratic caucus.
Hickenlooper’s office has said it is willing to work with lawmakers on new efforts to reduce student assessments at the state level.
