Group of educators will urge fewer tests

RALEIGH -- If you think your child takes too many tests, a select group of educators agrees with you and wants the state Board of Education to slash the number of exams.

This group agreed Monday to recommend dropping several tests and not counting others in the state testing program -- a measure that could lead to even more exams getting axed. This proposal is likely to win over those who say there are too many tests and not enough true learning in schools but could anger others who fear this will lead to less academic accountability for schools and teachers.

In a draft report, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability said, "For the way [state] tests are currently structured and used, there is too much time spent on testing."

"We're testing more, but we're not seeing the results," said Sam Houston, chairman of the commission "We're not seeing graduation rates increasing. We're not seeing remediation rates decreasing. Somewhere along the way, testing isn't aligning with excellence."

The commission's report is the latest backlash over the amount of testing under the state's 15-year-old ABCs of Public Education exam program. The testing program has tried to promote public confidence that schools are being held accountable for educating students. But some groups have argued that it has led to overtesting, especially since teacher bonus checks are tied to test results.

Parent Beth Martin, whose two sons attend Franklin Academy, a charter school in Wake Forest, applauded any changes that reduce the number of state tests.

"They do get tested quite a lot," Martin said. "They are a means for measurement, but not all tests are an accurate measurement of what kids are learning."

Angela Dunston, director of the N.C. Justice Center's Education and Law Project, has been a longtime critic of the state's testing program because, she said, the excessive testing puts minority students at a disadvantage. She supports the commission's recommendations.

But the recommendations aren't being applauded by everyone.

John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, a Raleigh think tank, said the major problem isn't that students are getting too many tests. He said the problem is that the state isn't using the right exams.

"The public isn't rebelling against testing," Hood said. "The public is rightfully confused by North Carolina's flawed testing program."

Hood and other critics of the state testing program say North Carolina should use national tests. But Houston and other members of the commission said it wouldn't be fair to use national tests to hold teachers and schools accountable for material that's not in the state curriculum.

'Very subjective'

Amid questions about the future of the ABCs program, the state board formed the commission in May. The commission will present its final report in January. It's up to the state board to decide whether to adopt the recommendations.

Among the recommendations, the commission wants to eliminate the fourth-, seventh- and 10th-grade writing tests and the eighth-grade computer skills tests. Houston said writing and computer skills are still important, but are subjects that can be left up to each school district to handle.

The elimination of the state writing tests is not something that James Overman, principal of East Garner Elementary School, said would be missed by many people.

"It's very subjective," Overman said. "It needs to be restructured if it isn't eliminated."

The commission also wants to slash in half the number of end-of-course exams used to measure how high schools are doing in the state testing program. They no longer want to count physics, physical science, chemistry, algebra II and geometry -- five exams which are now optional for high school students.

But if the exams are no longer being used in the state testing program, it's possible that they might be discontinued.

In addition, the commission is recommending not counting new science exams in fifth- and eighth-grades in the state's testing program. The state is offering the exams for the first time this school year to satisfy federal requirements.

Other recommendations include allowing passing scores on retests to count for each school and changing the bonus formula to take into account that some schools have fewer resources and more challenging students.

Overman, the principal, said it's tough trying to find the right amount of testing.

"Assessments are very important," Overman said. "They do give us benchmarks. It's hard to balance."