SACRAMENTO - The 330,000-member California Teachers Association is urging lawmakers to support legislation that would improve the state's testing and assessment system for California students and public schools.
"Teachers are not opposed to tests. We use them regularly in our classrooms. But California's game of high-stakes testing and assessment is based on a single test that is not fully aligned to our state's standards," said CTA President Wayne Johnson. "In addition, we're testing some kids in a language they don't even understand."
The CTA-sponsored legislation, AB 2347 by Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg, will ensure that state testing is more meaningful and that classroom time is focused on curriculum standards. The bill eliminates norm-referenced portions of the STAR program, adds assessments for Science and Social Science, and requires testing for students in grades 3-11 to bring California in line with new federal requirements.
The bill requires that all students, including special education students and English language learners, be given a fair chance to take the test. Students who are not proficient in English will take the test in their dominant language. In addition, AB 2347 requires that at least 55 percent of the panel that reviews the state's assessment program be composed of classroom teachers, and it eliminates all of the ill-conceived performance award programs based on test scores.
"Any costs associated with this effort are nothing compared to throwing millions of dollars at a bad program that is hurting California students," said Johnson. "We need a state testing system that is fair and helps teachers help our kids succeed."
AB 2347 is currently under consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
As a sign of the growing frustration with California's testing and assessment program, teachers, parents and students from across the state Wednesday will turn in petitions calling on the lawmakers to eliminate the Academic Performance Index (API) ranking system and rewards programs.