Scaled Back School Testing Gets Green Light from House

Florida students might have to report to classes a little earlier this coming fall, but they likely won’t face as many tests.

The Florida House unanimously approved measure Wednesday that cuts the standardized testing requirements across the state while also enabling local districts to set start dates as early as Aug. 10, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The bill specifically eliminates the 11th-grade English test and removes a requirement placed on local districts that demands end-of-course testing for all subjects not included in the new Florida Standards Assessment, the paper reported.

“With the passage of this legislation, we have addressed legitimate concerns about student testing while maintaining a strong accountability system that promotes quality instruction in the classroom, increasing transparency to provide clear and consistent information, and maximizing flexibility for our local school districts,” House Education Chairwoman Marlene O’Toole, R-Lady Lake, said in a statement quoted by the Orlando Sentinel.

A similar bill is being floated in the Senate. That bill includes a cap on the amount of time students can dedicate to state-mandated tests, but does not address the school start date. The Senate, the Times reported, may address that issue separately.

Current state law limits start times to within the period just 14 days before Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 7 this year. The late start would mean that first semester testing might continue until after winter breaks, raising alarm bells for some educators, the Palm Beach Post noted.

What are your thoughts on this? Is the state going far enough in scaling back testing or too far?

Image via Shutterstock

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