TX School Districts Pushing For Overhaul of State's Standardized Testing Program
By: Katie Thompson
Updated: December 3, 2012
"The state has been encroaching for quite a long time, however getting into a teachers gradebook literally..is unprecedented," said AISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Burns.
Burns says his district plans to continue it's fight for permanent changes to the state's testing system.
"The commissioner's decision really only gives us a break for one year," said Burns.
Over the past several months, parents, community members and school board officials have reached out to state legislators. They say not only is the testing program overbearing for students, it's overstepping the boundaries between state and local control.
"The testing program as it's been implemented has gone too far," said Burns. "Too much weight is put on a students performance on a test that they take one day out of the year."
Burns says he's hopeful that the issues at hand will be a top priority when the state legislature
"No doubt accountability needs to remain, no doubt testing needs to remain," said Burns. "But there needs to be some tweaks and some changes and I think there's a significant chance that we'll see some of those changes in the coming legislative session."
Burns says his district plans to continue it's fight for permanent changes to the state's testing system.
"The commissioner's decision really only gives us a break for one year," said Burns.
Over the past several months, parents, community members and school board officials have reached out to state legislators. They say not only is the testing program overbearing for students, it's overstepping the boundaries between state and local control.
"The testing program as it's been implemented has gone too far," said Burns. "Too much weight is put on a students performance on a test that they take one day out of the year."
Burns says he's hopeful that the issues at hand will be a top priority when the state legislature
"No doubt accountability needs to remain, no doubt testing needs to remain," said Burns. "But there needs to be some tweaks and some changes and I think there's a significant chance that we'll see some of those changes in the coming legislative session."
