Citing the results of a survey of likely voters, the Connecticut Education Association presented its proposals Monday to replace and revise a standardized test taken by third- through eighth-grade students.
The test under fire is known as the Smarter Balance Assessmen Consortium, which came into existence following the "No Child Left Behind" legislation that passed Congress in 2001.
Connecticut Education Association Executive Director Mark Waxenberg said the test is “nothing more than a one-time snapshot” and doesn’t accurately reflect the progress that has been made in many classrooms across the state.
The CEA cites the survey as part of its political push to scrap the test.
“The results are clear,” said CEA president Sheila Cohen.
According to the survey, which the CEA funded, 67 percent of likely Connecticut voters said students are required to take too many standardized tests.
The CEA seeks to phase out the SBAC and replace it with “progress tests” that would track a student’s academic success based on classroom information rather than a national standard.
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“Today it should come as no surprise that we have better, more meaningful tools at our disposal than high stakes tests that are not directly related to classroom instruction,” said Waxenberg.
Cohen said tests should be aligned with the Connecticut’s state standards.
"It’s making sure they’re age- and grade-level appropriate, and making sure that the test that is being developed is actually showing immediate results to the teacher, so that that professional educator can determine whether a subject needs review, reteaching or whether it’s OK to move on," Cohen explained.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Education said the agency has been working to reduce what it refers to as "burdensome testing," but cautions that some of what the CEA wants to do is outside the state’s control.
"These are federally-mandated exams," said spokesperson Kelly Donnelly, "and we believe in being smart about how we reduce anxiety associated with the tests, increase learning time, and ensure that we’re getting the job done in preparing students for success in college and careers."
She added that the state has been working for years to improve the emphasis of work inside the classroom.
According to Donnelly, more than $400,000 has been awarded in grants to "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, including statewide assessments; and reduce testing time wherever possible."
The CEA wants lawmakers to act on its proposals, which include establishing a new board to look at assessments that would be best for individual districts.
