The backlash against the amount of standardized tests our students take has never been greater. It’s not only parents who are tired of the relentless testing, but it’s teachers and administrators, too. State legislators have gotten an earful as well. Here’s an overview of the Standardized Test Changes in the DC Area for the 2014-2015 school year:
Virginia
If you live in Virginia, you can expect a reduction in the amount of Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. The third grade social studies and science tests will be dropped along with the fifth grade writing test and two high school U.S. History tests. Virginia will continue to administer their own tests (SOLs) because they have not signed on to the Common Core assessments. Virginia is one of only seven states to have rejected Common Core.
Maryland and Washington DC
The school districts in Maryland and DC are proponents of the Common Core and have adopted its instructional practices and testing standards. Last year was the final school year in which DC used its own tests. This year students will take the PARCC (the company that publishes Common Core) assessments for Mathematics and English Language Arts (including a Composition component) and will take a new Science and Health assessment currently under development. These Common Core tests, are a better measure of 21st Century skills, such as problem solving.
Although administrators feel that the quality of the tests are improving in DC and Maryland, students will actually be taking MORE of them. Instead of yearly assessments, students in grades 3-11 will be tested twice a year. It will take students twice as long to be tested, but that these assessments will more accurately measure college and career readiness.