School Board Opposes High Stakes Testing, Resolution Asks State, Governments To Improve Accountability Programs
The Palm Beach County School Board has adopted a resolution that opposes what it calls the over-reliance on high-stakes standardized tests, such as the FCAT.
The resolution requests that the state reexamine its public school accountability system and develop a new system that does not rely as heavily on extensive standardized testing. It requests that multiple forms of assessment be used to guide instruction and evaluate student learning.
The resolution also calls on the federal government to reduce the number of testing mandates in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and not continue the rigid role of student test scores in evaluating educators, as has been approved.
More than 360 school boards in Texas have reportedly signed a similar national resolution, which is supported by a coalition of parent, education and civil rights groups.
Board members say they have received numerous complaints from parents and educators who say the FCAT and other mandated tests create unhealthy stress on students and take away from valuable instructional time.
The Resolution follows:
THE SCHOOL BOARD OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, our nation’s future well-being relies on a high-quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning, and strengthens the nation’s social and economic well-being; and
WHEREAS, our nation’s school systems have been spending growing amounts of time, money and energy on high-stakes standardized testing, in which student performance on standardized tests is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators and schools; and
WHEREAS, the over-reliance on high-stakes standardized testing in state and federal accountability systems is undermining educational quality and equity in U.S. public schools by hampering educators’ efforts to focus on the broad range of learning experiences that promote the innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and deep subject-matter knowledge that will allow students to thrive in a democracy and an increasingly global society and economy; and
WHEREAS, it is widely recognized that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of both student learning and educator effectiveness; and
WHEREAS, the over-emphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage in too many schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love of learning, pushing students out of school, driving excellent teachers out of the profession, and undermining school climate; and
WHEREAS, high-stakes standardized testing has negative effects for students from all backgrounds, and especially for low-income students, English language learners, children of color, and those with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the culture and structure of the systems in which students learn must change in order to foster engaging school experiences that promote joy in learning, depth of thought and breadth of knowledge for students.
Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the School Board of Palm Beach County, Florida, calls on Governor Scott, the Florida Department of Education and the state legislature to reexamine public school accountability systems in the State of Florida, and to develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment which does not require extensive standardized testing, more accurately reflects the broad range of student learning, and is used to support students and improve schools; and RESOLVED, that the School Board of Palm Beach County, Florida, calls on the U.S. Congress and Administration to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as the “No Child Left Behind Act,” reduce the testing mandates, promote multiple forms ofevidence of student learning and school quality in accountability, and not mandate any fixed role for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators.
Adopted this 25th day of April, 2012.
________________________________
Frank A. Barbieri, Jr., Esq., Chairman
Attest: The School Board of Palm Beach County
Superintendent E. Wayne Gent, Secretary
The School Board of Palm Beach County
