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A bill that provides for a broad set of criteria in determining whether to advance students out of 4th and 8th grades makes sound educational sense, WEAC's Katie Stout testified before the Assembly Education Committee February 9, 1999.
"As all good teachers know, achievement and learning cannot be determined by a single measure," said Stout, director of WEAC's Instruction and Professional Development Division.
She testified in favor of Assembly Bill 94, which would replace the current high-stakes testing criteria for 4th and 8th graders with a broader set of criteria to be developed by school boards. Under current law, beginning in the 2002-03 school year, students will be required to pass a single high-stakes test to pass out of the 4th and 8th grades.
Under AB94, every school board must develop specific criteria for advancing students out of those grades. Those criteria would include a pupil's scores on the performance test, but also include consideration of the pupil's overall academic performance, the recommendations of teachers, and any other criteria specified by the school board. Performance on a single high-stakes test would not be the sole determining factor.
Stout pointed out that WEAC supports state level testing of students. However, she said research has proven that holding students back "has a negative effect on school achievement and completion" and that punitive high-stakes testing "can distort an educational system in ways that have very high long-term costs."
High-stakes testing is costly to administer and subjects school districts to lawsuits, she said.
"In general, excessive time is being spent on legal protection at the expense of improved learning," Stout said. "The learning is our goal and must remain so for Wisconsin's children."
Stout said one change WEAC would like to see in AB94 is to restore the provision allowing parents to excuse their children from taking the tests.
On related topics, Stout said, WEAC believes all schools that receive public funds should be required to participate in all state testing and that the high school achievement test should be just one factor a school board considers for graduation.
Posted February 10, 1999