PARCC practice tests in the Sheridan School District (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post).
After a long and bumpy journey that began with and lasted to the very last day of the 2015 legislative session, testing reduction legislation is headed to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s desk.
Despite a desire for more drastic changes from parent activists, the state’s biggest teachers union and some lawmakers on the far right and left, enough momentum existed to forge a compromise that would satisfy Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Hickenlooperhe would not stand for anything that would cut testing to point of undermining Colorado’s system for holding districts, schools and teachers accountable for student performance.
The time, energy and emotion that went into trying to unlock the issue was evident as lawmakers took their turns at the microphone with just hours to go in the session.
Senate President Bill Cadman said new and veteran lawmakers alike remarked that they had “never seen anything like this issue,” which he likened to kicking a hornet’s nest. Of the final result, he said: “Something magic happened here.”
Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, said even as recently as 20 hours earlier, he thought the fragile compromise would fall apart leaving the status quo for another year — a fear expressed by members from both parties throughout the process.
The deal apparently spared lawmakers — and taxpayers — from a special session:
says glad to see reform compromise HB 1323, adds otherwise woulda been special session.
— Tessa Cheek (@tessacheek)
The legislation will:
— Trim reading and literacy tests for the youngest students, in kindergarten through third grade.
— Preserve 9th grade PARCC English and math tests, probably the biggest point of disagreement in the testing debate.
— Eliminate 11th and 12th-grade PARCC tests, and replace 10th grade PARCC tests with a shorter college-preparatory exam. Eleventh-graders would continue take the ACT or equivalent college readiness tests, which already is required by the state. The 10th and 11th grade tests wouold be put out to competitive bids every five years.
— Allow paper-and-pencil options instead of online tests. That decision would be made at the school level, not the district or parent level.
— Makes clear that parents and teachers have the right to opt out of tests and can’t be punished for doing so. Educators, schools and district still would be held accountable and face possible consequences (through performance reviews and accreditation, for instance) if opt-outs cause participation levels to plummet. Schools and districts will, however, get a one-year break from tests scores being used in the state’s accountability system.
— Establish a pilot program allowing districts to use alternative tests or develop their own if they are willing to pay for it — and if the state department of education signs off on it. This will require federal approval as well.
Separate legislation that won approval would pare back social studies tests, the target of protests at high schools last fall that helped heap attention on the issue. The tests now given to students in three grade levels every year will instead be given in just some schools in a sort of rotation, so a particular school would ideally give the tests every three years, not annually.
Some of the early reactions to Wednesday’s hard-won result …
Thk u Sen 4 ur work reducing tests in schools. HB1323 pass Sen 30-5
— Andy Kerr (@SenAndyKerr)
Thank you, , for reasonable testing reduction that preserves transparency in the spirit of 1202 task force recs
— Children’s Campaign (@ColoradoKidsOrg)
The Colorado Education Association pushed for further reductions, but sounded a positive note:
pleased moved on public outcry, HB1323 dials back testing for educators, students.
— Colorado EA (@COeducation)
Sen. Michael Johnston, D-Denver, was part of a coalition of lawmakers who worked to negotiate a deal:
What many thought was impossible: we got 85 votes on common sense bill to reduce testing+preserve accountability that can sign
— Mike Johnston (@MikeJohnstonCO)
Alan Salazar, Hickenlooper’s top political adviser, praised Rep. Millie Hamner, D-Dillon, a veteran of education policy debates who took a prominent role in crafting what became the compromise:
RE: education and testing compromise. Huge kudos to
— Alan Salazar (@AlanSalazarCO)
