SWR board cries foul over move to add more standardized testing
The Shoreham-Wading River school board harshly criticized a recent state proposal to mandate additional standardized testing called “field tests” for grades 3 through 8.
In a resolution read aloud at its meeting Tuesday night, the board denounced the planned change as benefiting the companies that provide the tests more than the students. The change would result “in the reduction of students’ learning opportunities” and was proposed to create more ways to evaluate teachers based on testing scores, according to the resolution.
In the resolution, the board called the proposal a way to “subsidize private enterprise without public discussion.”
Previously, any participation in the tests was on a voluntary basis. The Board of Regents is currently considering the State Education Department’s proposal.
The district has previously taken stances against standardized testing. The school board called on state and federal educators to end the “over-reliance” on state testing for students.
This March, as the “opt-out” movement over standardized testing grew, Superintendent Steven Cohen issued a letter detailing how district parents could refuse to have their children take the tests.
Mr. Cohen has previously expressed concerns over standardized testing and its effect on students’ educations.
