WASHINGTON (AP) — Do students take too many tests?
Given the complaints about a high-stakes testing culture in classrooms, some states are reviewing the quality and quantity of the tests their students take. Congress is getting into the act, too.
On Wednesday, the Senate’s education committee is set to take up the issue of whether federally mandated annual testing should remain a requirement under the No Child Left Behind law. Lawmakers are considering the reauthorization of the bipartisan education measure that President George W. Bush signed into law in 2002.
“Of course we should be asking the question: Are there too many tests?” says the committee chairman, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
Five things to know about testing in U.S. schools:
TESTING IS FEDERALLY MANDATED
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TEACHER EVALUATIONS FIGURE IN THE DEBATE
The Obama administration views teacher evaluations with teeth as in important way to improve schools. It has given incentives to states to develop such evaluation systems, including making them a requirement to get a waiver to No Child Left Behind.
In 2009, 35 states and the District of Columbia did not require teacher evaluations to include measures of student learning, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality. But by last year, that dropped to nine states.
That’s put added pressure on teachers — and at the same time classroom expectations are changing because of Common Core.
Last fall, Duncan said states can apply for extra time before they use student test scores to judge educators’ performance.
