U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) has introduced legislation that would give states the power to create their own English language arts and mathematics testing plans in an effort to curb what he considers frequent examinations.
“It is generally understood that some testing is essential to helping our students learn what is being taught, but requiring them to take too many tests is stifling their creativity,” Israel said in a statement. “Classroom time should be devoted to learning knowledge, interacting with peers and spending time understanding concepts rather than just memorizing materials for testing.”
Called the Tackling Excessive Standardized Testing Act — or TEST — and crafted with the input of Long Island school superintendents, the bill would require students from grades 3 through 8 to take English and math exams in alternating years, rather than being tested in both subjects each year.
In a news release from the congressman’s office, Israel cites a 2013 study by the America Federation of Teachers that found students in grades 3 through 8 spend between 20 and 50 hours each year taking exams, and 60-110 hours in test preparation.
“The TEST Act represents a positive step towards decreasing the number of tests students take during their earliest years in school; tests taken at the expense of very important teaching and learning,” said Thomas Dolan, the former superintendent of the Great Neck School District who contributed to the legislation. “Congressman Israel identified early on that a way to improve our schools is to teach more and test less.”
Under the legislation, schools ranking in the top 15 percent in a state and achieve a 75 percent raw score passing rate would be able to implement a four-year testing cycle, meaning students would be tested in English in grades 3 and 7 and math in grades 4 and 8.
The law would also require the U.S. Department of Education to create an additional, alternative metric by which schools that do not meet the 75 percent rate may use a four-year testing cycle if they show marked improvement.
International students without fluency in English would be allowed to take the exams in their own language in each of their first three years, and their scores in the first year would not be included in a school’s overall accountability rating for student exam performance.
