Berlin Schools to Receive State Grant to Help Reduce Student Testing

The Connecticut State Department of Education has awarded more than $425,000 in grants that will help districts — including Berlin — spend less time on testing students and more time on teaching.

The department awarded $428,253 to 48 districts as part of the Assessment Reduction grant program, which Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced in September. Districts received awards up to $10,000 each.

In an announcement Monday morning, the education department said that Berlin Public Schools will receive a grant of $10,000.

“Tests are important tools in the teaching and learning toolbox that helps track student progress towards success in college and careers. But, it’s also important to ensure that the already crowded schedules of our students are not filled with too many tests,” Malloy said in a statement. “This grant will support local efforts to eliminate tests that do not contribute to student learning, and, in doing so, increase time for classroom instruction.”

Under federal law, Connecticut must administer end-of-year tests to all students in Grades 3-8 and once in high school. However, many exams are selected and administered at the discretion of the local school or district.

The grants will help districts comprehensively analyze their tests to ensure that they reflect district priorities, alignment to new state standards, provide maximum value, are not redundant with other assessments, and reduce testing time wherever possible.

The districts now must complete an inventory of their assessments by June 30, 2015. They will then modify, eliminate, or replace assessments that are redundant, ineffective, or out of alignment and must inform their communities about how that will improve teaching and learning, according to the state Department of Education.

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Photo credit: Berlin Public Schools.