As Spring Testing Approaches More Want Common Core Tests Nixed

Washington Township Public School District in Southern New Jersey saw their school board vote on a resolution that opposes the use of the PARCC assessment this week. Also a teacher’s union in Delaware expresses their opposition to the Smarter Balanced Assessments.

The Washington Township Public School District board members unanimously endorsed a resolution at their meeting last Monday that outlines their collective opposition to the use of PARCC assessment. A copy of the signed resolution will be forwarded to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Commissioner David Hespe, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Senate Education Committee Chair M. Teresa Ruiz, the Senate Education Committee, Senator Fred Madden, Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, Assemblywoman Gabriella Mosquera, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Education Association, and the Washington Township Education Association.

“The Washington Township Board of Education unanimously passed this resolution on March 14, 2016,” Board President Ginny Murphy said. “We feel compelled to oppose the use of PARCC as a high school graduation requirement, to oppose the use of PARCC test scores in teacher evaluations until such time as the test is validated, and to request reimbursement for all incurred and ongoing costs associated with the administration of the test, as it is a grossly under-funded state mandate. PARCC, and the issues pertaining to test administration, have become a distraction, and are wasting valuable District resources.”

You can read the resolution below:

Then the Delaware State Education Association at their representative assembly voted to support getting rid of Smarter Balanced.

Delaware State News reports:

At the Delaware State Education Association’s annual Representative Assembly this weekend, nearly 200 delegates from school districts throughout the state voted as one to end Smarter Balanced.

While the administration has control over what statewide exam students take, the vote serves as the latest repudiation of Smarter Balanced and follows an effort by lawmakers to allow parents to opt their children out of the test.

Teachers’ union President Frederika Jenner said the test’s usefulness for teachers is limited, noting only a basic score and a few terse comments are provided to students and their instructors months afterward.

State officials argue the exam allows the Department of Education to measure student progress. But many opponents believe the test is unnecessarily challenging and consumes too much time, forcing teachers to adjust their schedules during testing. The assessment also requires students to use a computer, tying up the schools’ computer labs and libraries.

Last year, the General Assembly voted to allow parents to let their children skip the test without penalty. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Jack Markell, a Democrat. An override attempt in January failed in the House.

The state announced two months ago that 11th graders can take the SAT instead of Smarter Balanced, a move applauded by many opponents of the assessment.