Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Student Assessments in Southern States: Recent Developments
Student Assessments in Southern States: Recent Developments
Student Assessments in Southern States: Recent Developments
LEGISLATIVE
CONFERENCE
OF
STUDENT ASSESSMENTS
IN SOUTHERN STATES:
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
THE COUNCIL
OF STATE
GOVERNMENTS
Copyright November 2015
Alabama
Originally a member of both PARCC and Smarter Balanced, Alabama withdrew from both national student
testing consortiums in early 2013.6In order to continue
student testing in alignment with its College- and CareerReady Standards (CCRS), the state became the first to adopt
ACT Aspire for testing children in grades 3-8, starting in
2014.7For the 2015-16 school year, administration of ACT
Aspire assessments will be expanded to include grade 10.
According to the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), ACT Aspire will test student performance
in English, reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
While reading and mathematics will be tested in grades 3-8,
science will be tested in grades 5 and 7 only.In grade 10,
students will be tested on their proficiency in all of the five
aforementioned disciplines. The ACT Aspire assessments
tout several unique features: modules that allow flexibility
for testing schedules; multiple choice and written response
questions; the option of computer or paper-based formats;
and alignment with both ACT College Readiness Benchmarks and CCRS.8
In addition to ACT Aspire for grades 3-8 and 10, the state
administers The ACT with an additional writing component to students in grade 11. The ACT Plus Writing
assessment ensures that students have completed at least
one exam accepted by four-year colleges and universities
in the United States. Additionally, the state will be able to
use the assessment to track student performance with aggregate and standards-based reporting past high school;
improve the college- and career-readiness of its students;
and collect further information about the alignment of
The ACT and CCRS.9
Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, the Department
has required the administration of ACT WorkKeys in grade
12, designed to measure foundational cognitive and noncognitive skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century
workforce.10 Meanwhile, during the 2015-16 school year,
the Department will give schools and districts the option
to administer ACT QualityCore end-of-course (EOC) assessments for Algebra I and English 9 or 10.11
With regard to school entry assessments, on May 11, 2015,
ALSDE announced a partnership with the Alabama Department of Childrens Affairs to pilot a Kindergarten Entry
Arkansas
Originally a member of PARCC, the state Board of Education, under the direction of Governor Asa Hutchinson,
voted in July 2015 to change the public school systems testing provider to ACT. Although the Board originally resisted
leaving PARCC, a final report from the governors Council on Common Core Review and a newly reconstituted
Board voted to make the transition.15 The Common Core
State Standards remain the basis of student learning goals
for English language arts and mathematics.16
Starting with the 2015-16 school year, schools will administer ACT Aspire for students in grades 3-10, testing them
in English, reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
Students in grade 11 will have the option to take The ACT
free of charge and have the scores sent directly to colleges
and universities of their choice.17,18
Arkansas continues to use the Qualls Early Learning Inventory, a questionnaire based on teacher observations,
to measure the general knowledge, oral communication,
written language, mathematic concepts, work habits, and
attentive behavior of kindergarten students and any first
grade student who did not attend kindergarten.19,20 The state
also requires the administration of the Iowa Assessments, a
set of multiple choice reading comprehension and mathematic tests, to students in grades 1 and 2. Student performance
on these tests is compared to a reference group representing the national norm and used to identify students who
may require additional instruction in science, English language arts, or mathematics.21
Florida
From 2011 to 2014, the state used the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test to measure student performance in relation
to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)
in reading, mathematics, and writing.22 Under the executive order of Governor Rick Scott, the state withdrew from
PARCC in September 2013.23 In February 2014, the state
Board of Education unanimously approved new Language
Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) and Mathematics Florida
Standards (MAFS).24 To replace the PARCC assessments,
the state Department of Education hired the American
Institutes for Research to develop and administer the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA).25
Alabama
Arkansas
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
West Virginia
Georgia
From 2000 to 2014, Georgia administered a series of student assessments called Criterion-Referenced Competency
Tests (CRCT). After the states withdrawal from PARCC
in July 2013,40 in order to align student testing with newly
Analytic Geometry
Biology
Physical Science
U.S. History
Economics/Business/
Free Enterprise
The state has contracted with CTB/McGraw-Hill to transition the administration of Georgia Milestones assessments
to a completely online format, with traditional paper-pencil
tests available only as back-ups. Approximately 30 percent of students in grades 3-12 took the assessments online
in its debut year. A small, undetermined number of students experienced connection issues mostly attributable to
the testing systems delay in syncing student information
across databases and other server issues. The state Department of Education was forced to suspend testing for some
students for two days to allow the vendor to identify and
remedy the problem.44 As recompense for the failures, CTB/
McGraw-Hill offered the state several additional services
free of charge. Valued at $4.5 million, the company will
provide $2.64 million to create and administer new mathematics EOC assessments, up to $120,000 to hire a program
manager who will serve as the primary point of contact
for coordination of assessments, up to $60,000 to contract
for an independent analysis of the online testing problems
experienced in the first year, and more than $1.6 million
in other services.45
Race to the Top was a component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that created a $4.35 billion competitive grant
program designed to encourage and reward states for developing
education innovations and reforms for achieving significant improvement in student outcomes; closing achievement gaps; improving
high school graduation rates; and implementing ambitious plans in
four core education reform areas: 1) adopting college- and careerreadiness standards, 2) building data systems that measure student
growth and success, 3) increasing teachers and principal effectiveness, and 4) turning around the lowest-achieving schools.
C
kindergarten student performance evaluation implemented during the 2008-09 school year. Throughout the year,
in accordance with a schedule determined by the teacher,
children are assessed on their skills in the disciplines of
English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and
science, as well as their approaches to learning, personal and social development, and motor skills. Teachers
may assess students through sample assessment activities, their own assessments, personal observation, or a
combination of methods. The teacher only is required to
Kentucky
Starting with the 2011-12 school year, the Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (K-PREP) replaced
the Kentucky Core Content Test. The commonwealth withdrew from PARCC in January 2014,55 and contracted with
Pearson56 for the provision of assessments for grades 3-8 and
high school writing.57,58 The Kentucky Academic Standards
serve as the learning objectives measured by the assessments.
During the most recent 2014-15 school year, the commonwealth administered K-PREP student assessments for the
following proficiencies:59
English Language Arts: grades 3-8
Mathematics: grades 3-8
Science: grades 4 and 7
Social Studies: grades 5 and 8
Language Mechanics: grades 4 and 6
On-Demand Writing: grades 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11
In addition to these regular assessments, the commonwealth
administers several ACT-developed student assessments
to determine students college- and career-readiness and
measure individual school performance.DSince the 2011-12
school year, ACT QualityCore EOC assessments also have
been required for English II, Algebra II, Biology and U.S.
History, generally completed in high school. Meanwhile,
ACT Explore is administered to students in grade 8,60 and
ACT Plan is administered to students in grade 10. In grade
11, students take a customized, four-component ACT assessment, providing a third and final indicator of college- and
career-readiness. The four components comprise:
Please see page 3 for a text box addressing ACT-aligned student
assessments.
D
State
Alabama
ACT
Arkansas
ACT
Florida
Georgia
CTB/McGraw-Hill
Kentucky
Pearson
Louisiana
Mississippi
Missouri
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Measured Progress
South Carolina
ACT
Tennessee
Measurement Incorporated /
American Institutes for Research
Texas
Virginia
Pearson
West Virginia
North Carolina is one of two states in the nation that contracts with
an in-state university to develop and administer student assessments,
per a November 2012 report on state spending on K-12 assessments by
Matthew M. Chingos at the Brookings Institution. The state appears to
be continuing the practice, with sizable cost savings.
*
Source: Chingos, Matthew M. Strength in Numbers: State Spending on K-12 Assessment Systems. Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings.
November 2012. http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2012/11/29%20cost%20of%20assessment%20chingos/11_assessment_
chingos_final.pdf (accessed October 27, 2015).
Louisiana
Student assessments developed by PARCC were administered during the 2014-15 school year. However, legislation
signed by Governor Bobby Jindal on June 29, 2015, stipulates that PARCC-developed material may comprise no more
Pre-K12 Early Learning, Subject Area, and Other Student Assessments in SLC Member States*
State
K-12 English
Language Arts Early Learning
Assessments
and Math
Standards
Alabama
College- and
Career-Ready
Standards
Arkansas
Qualls Early
Learning Inventory
Common Core
(grades K-1)
State Standards
Iowa Assessments
(grades 1-2)
Florida
Language
Arts Florida
Standards
Mathematics
Florida
Standards
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Dynamic Indicators of
Basic Early Literacy Reading
Skills or district
Math
choice (grades K-2)
Reading
Math
Reading
Math
Science
Reading
Math
Reading
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
Florida Kindergarten
Readiness Screener
(grade K)
English
Math
English
Math
English
Math
Science
English
Math
English
Math
Georgia
Standards of
Excellence
Georgia Kindergarten
Inventory of
Developing Skills
(grade K)
Student Learning
Objectives
(grades Pre-K12)
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
Kentucky
Academic
Standards
BRIGANCE Early
Childhood
Kindergarten
English
Screen III (grade K)
Math
Teacher-selected
reading and math
assessments (grade 1)
English Language
Arts/Literacy
Dynamic Indicators of
Standards
Basic Early Literacy
Standards for
Skills (grades K-3)
Mathematical
Practice
Kindergarten
Mississippi
Readiness Assessment
College- and
(grade K)
Career-Ready
STAR Early Literacy
Standards
(grades K-3)
English
English
Math
Math
On-Demand
Science
Writing
Language
Social
Mechanics
Studies
English
Math
English
On-Demand
Math
Writing
Science
Language
Mechanics
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Reading
English
Math
English
Math
Science
English
Math
English
Math
Due to many state-specific particularities, information is provided as fully, yet concisely, as practicable. For complete details, please see specific
state sections.
*
Grade 8
Reading
Math
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Math
Science
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Learning
Objectives
English
Math
On-Demand
Writing
Social
Studies
ACT Explore
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
ACT Explore
English
Math
Science
Grade 9
English
Student
Learning
Objectives
ACT Explore
Grade 10
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Reading
Writing
Math
Science
English
Grade 11
Grade 12
End-of-Course Assessments
(generally administered
in grades 9-12)
ACT WorkKeys
The ACT
(not statemandated)
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Biology I
Civics
U.S. History
Student
Learning
Objectives
Student
Learning
Objectives
Student
Learning
Objectives
On-Demand
Writing
ACT Plan
On-Demand
Writing
The ACT
(customized)
ACT Compass
(limited use)
ACT WorkKeys
(CTE students
only)
English II
Algebra II
Biology
U.S. History
ACT Plan
The ACT
ACT WorkKeys
(not statemandated)
English II
English III
Algebra
Geometry
Biology
U.S. History
The ACT
Mississippi Career
Planning and
Assessment
System (CTE
students only)
English II
Algebra I
Biology I
U.S. History
11
Pre-K12 Early Learning, Subject Area, and Other Student Assessments in SLC Member States*
State
K-12 English
Language
Arts and
Math
Standards
Early Learning
Assessments
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Missouri
Missouri
Learning
Standards
Desired Results
Developmental
Profile (Pre-K, not
state-mandated)
English
Math
English
Math
English
Math
Science
English
Math
English
Math
North
Carolina
North
Carolina
Standard
Course of
Study
English
Math
Reading
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Oklahoma
Priority
Academic
Student Skills
English
Math
English
Math
English
Writing
Math
Science
U.S. History
English
Math
Geography
South
Carolina
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Math
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Due to many state-specific particularities, information is provided as fully, yet concisely, as practicable. For complete details, please see specific
state sections.
*
completed in high school. Additionally, a series of assessments developed by ACT is required for students in middle
and high school.E Students in grades 8 and 9 take ACT Explore; ACT Plan is administered in grade 10; and The ACT is
required for students in grade 11.72 Starting with spring 2015,
the state also began to offer, but not require, ACT WorkKeys assessments for students pursuing a career-oriented
high school diploma. Students who earn a sufficient score
on ACT WorkKeys can qualify for the states postsecondary
scholarship program, Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, to pursue further career and technical credentials.73
Please see page 3 for a text box addressing ACT-aligned student
assessments.
E
Grade 8
English
Math
Science
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
ACT Explore
English
Math
Writing
Science
U.S. History
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Grade 9
Grade 10
ACT Plan
Grade 11
The ACT
The ACT
Grade 12
End-of-Course Assessments
(generally administered in grades 9-12)
English II
Algebra I
Algebra II
(accelerated students)
Biology
Government
Personal Finance
ACT WorkKeys
English I
English II
English III
English IV
Math I
Math II
Math III
Advanced Functions
and Modeling
Discrete Mathematics
Precalculus
Physical Science
Environmental Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
American History:
The Founding
Principles, Civics
and Economics
World History
American History I
American History II
English II
English III
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Biology I
U.S. History
The ACT
ACT WorkKeys
Like Alabama, in early learning classrooms, Louisiana utilizes DIBELS. The assessment is required for children in
grades K-3 and administered three times per year. Sponsored
by the state, DIBELS is used by local education agencies to
measure students progression in reading skills and identify those who may need intervention. School districts may
apply for a waiver of the testing requirement if they have
identified another assessment tool better suited for their
school settings.74
Mississippi
In January 2015, the Mississippi Department of Education announced the state was withdrawing from PARCC
English 1
Algebra 1/Math for the Technologies 2
Biology 1/Applied Biology 2
U.S. History and the Constitution
13
Pre-K12 Early Learning, Subject Area, and Other Student Assessments in SLC Member States*
K-12 English
Language Arts
and Math
Standards
Early Learning
Assessments
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Tennessee
Tennessees State
Standards
Reading
Math
(grades K-2, not
state-mandated)
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Texas
Texas Essential
Knowledge
and Skills
English
Math
English
Math
Writing
English
Math
Science
English
Math
English
Math
Writing
Virginia
Standards of
Learning
Phonological Awareness
Literacy Screening
(grades K-3, not
state-mandated)
English
Math
Science
History
English
Math
English
Math
Science
Writing
English
Math
English
Math
West
Virginia
English
Math
Science
English
Math
English
Math
Science
English
Math
State
Due to many state-specific particularities, information is provided as fully, yet concisely, as practicable. For complete details, please see specific
state sections.
*
Missouri
Missouri is one of three SLC member states thatalong with
North Carolina and West Virginiaoriginally participated
in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. However, on May 8, 2015, Governor Jay Nixon signed into
Renaissance Learning, Incorporated is a Wisconsin-based educational assessment and learning analytics company focused on cloud-based
educational software for use in grades K-12.
F
Grade 8
Grade 9
English
Writing
Math
Science
Social
Studies
ACT Explore
English
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Grade 10
ACT Plan
Grade 11
The ACT
or SAT
Grade 12
End-of-Course Assessments
(generally administered in grades 9-12)
English I
English II
English III
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Biology I
Chemistry
U.S. History
English I
English II
English III
(not statemandated)
Algebra I
Algebra II
(not state-mandated)
Biology
U.S. History
Reading
Writing
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Earth Science
Biology
Chemistry
Virginia Studies
English
Math
Science
Writing
English
Math
English
Math
English
Math
Science
English
Math
ACT Compass
15
the development of children in pre-kindergarten. The testing instrument is aligned with the Missouri Early Learning
Goals and its usage is optional.90
North Carolina
As of September 24, 2015, North Carolina remains an
affiliate member of the Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium.91 During the 2014-15 school year, student
assessments in English language arts and mathematics, aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study (NCSCS) adopted in June 2010, were administered
to students in grades 3-8.92,93 The state also continued the
administration of a Beginning-of-Grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading Test, which serves as a baseline measure
for the English language arts and reading abilities of students starting grade 3.94 Students who do not meet the
proficiency cut-score for the end-of-year English language
arts assessment for grade 3 have the option to retake the
test, take the states Read to Achieve Test,G or complete
a Grade 3 Student Reading Portfolio to demonstrate the
appropriate level of reading comprehension required for
promotion to grade 4. The Read to Achieve Test also is
utilized for mid-year promotion of students who were retained due to an insufficient reading proficiency.95 Student
assessments for science, aligned with Essential Standards
adopted in February 2009, were administered to students
in grades 5 and 8.96 End-of-course tests were administered
for Math I, Biology, and English II, generally completed in
high school.97 The EOC assessments were aligned with the
same standards as those for grades 3-8.
In 2010, nearly $400 million in federal Race to the Top competitive grants assisted North Carolina in the remodeling
of its public education system.98 With those changes, a new
Educator Effectiveness Model required the addition of several student assessments to those for English language arts,
mathematics, and science.99 These assessments, the North
Carolina Final Exams, are EOC tests required in addition to
the aforementioned student assessments and are scheduled
for the following courses during the 2015-16 school year:100
The North Carolina Read to Achieve Test is a reference to the
states Read to Achieve legislative initiative, a part of the Excellent
Public Schools Act, to ensure that every student reads at grade level
by the end of grade 3.
G
English I
English III
English IV
4th Grade Social Studies
5th Grade Social Studies
6th Grade Social Studies
7th Grade Social Studies
8th Grade Social Studies
American History:
The Founding Principles,
Civics, and Economics
World History
American History I
American History II
Oklahoma
Oklahoma withdrew from PARCC in July 2013, and subsequently began a search for a new statewide student
assessment provider.109 The state originally contracted with
CTB/McGraw-Hill, but after a series of technological issues
with online testing and problematic contract negotiations,
on October 17, 2014, the state hired Measured Progress as
its testing service provider.110 Presently, the state administers Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests to students in grades
3-8 and at the completion of seven high school courses.111
In grades 3-8, English language arts and mathematics are
tested in alignment with the states educational standards,
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction formative assessments used by teachers and students during instruction provide
feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to help students improve their achievement of intended instructional outcomes. These
assessments occur minute-to-minute or in short cycles and include
tasks such as: questioning, discussions, learning activities, feedback, and student reflections. In contrast, summative assessments
are those administered at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program, or school year.
I
South Carolina
On May 30, 2014, Governor Nicki Haley signed legislation
officially ending South Carolinas participation in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, prohibiting the use of
Smarter Balanced assessments in the state, and requiring
new English language arts and mathematics standards for
the 2015-16 school year, to replace the Common Core State
Standards.119 In accordance, on March 11, 2015, the state Board
of Education unanimously approved new South Carolina
College- and Career-Ready Standards for English Language
Arts and South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for Math.120 Following the ban on Smarter Balanced
assessments, the South Carolina Budget and Control Board
Oklahoma officially dropped its Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) on June 5, 2014, and subsequently reverted to its pre-CCSS
educational standards.
J
17
Tennessee
On May 13, 2014, Governor Bill Haslam signed into law legislation mandating the administration of the state-developed
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) to
assess English language arts and mathematics proficiency
in grades 3-8 during the 2014-15 school year. The legislation also required a competitive bidding process for the
state contract to administer the student assessments during
the 2015-16 school year. Shortly thereafter, the governor,
commissioner of education, and chair of the state Board of
Education composed a joint letter informing PARCC about
Tennessees complete withdrawal from the consortium.130 In
November 2014, the state finalized a five-year, $108 million
testing contract with Measurement Incorporated. According to the nonprofit news organization, Chalkbeat Tennessee,
Measurement Incorporated will be subcontracting with the
American Institutes for Research, the testing provider for
Florida and Utah.131
The new assessments for English language arts and mathematics, called TNReady, are being deployed with the 2015-16
school year for grades 3-11. The assessments are aligned
with Tennessees State Standards, adopted in 2010 and implemented during the 2013-14 school year.132 Depending on
their school schedule, students in grades 3-8 will take the
assessments for English language arts and mathematics in
two or four parts during the school year.133 The English
language arts assessments include a writing section that
requires students to compose two essays, with each graded
on four rubrics: development, focus/organization, language,
and conventions.134
Science and social studies also will continue to be tested
in grades 3-8 as part of TCAP. In addition, Tennessee continues to administer EOC assessments, generally during
high school, upon the completion of English I, English II,
English III, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry,L U.S. History, Biology I, and Chemistry.135 Tennessee also continues
to require a series of ACT-aligned student assessments.
Students in grade 8 take ACT Explore; ACT Plan is administered in grade 10; and The ACT or SAT is required
for students in grade 11.
For grades K-2, to measure students potential future success in later grades, the state Department of Education
Alternative mathematics assessments (Integrated Math I, II, and II)
are available for schools that teach integrated mathematics.
L
Texas
Texas never joined PARCC or Smarter Balanced and has
continued to administer student assessments through the
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)
program implemented during the 2011-12 school year.
English language arts and mathematics proficiencies are
assessed in grades 3-8; writing in grades 4 and 7; science
in grades 5 and 8; and social studies in grade 8. The state
also administers EOC assessments at the completion of
Norm-referenced refers to standardized tests that are designed to compare and rank test takers in relation to one another. Norm-referenced
tests report whether test takers performed better or worse than a
hypothetical average student. (The Glossary of Education Reform)
M
Virginia
Virginia never joined PARCC or Smarter Balanced. Instead,
theStandards of Learning (SOL) for Virginia Public Schools,
established by the state Board of Education, guide student
assessments for the majority of subject areas taught in K-12
public schools.148 In alignment with SOL, students in grades
19
Virginia Studies
Civics & Economics
World History &
Geography to 1500
World History &
Geography 1500-Present
World Geography
Virginia & U.S. History
West Virginia
As a current governing member of the Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium, West Virginia remains the only
SLC member state maintaining full membership in either
PARCC or Smarter Balanced.154 During the 2014-15 school
year, the state implemented a new testing platform, the West
Virginia General Summative Assessment, which includes
the Smarter Balanced assessments for English language arts
and mathematics. The state contracted with the American
Institutes for Research for the provision of the General
Summative Assessment computer platform, test scoring,
and the reporting system for students, parents, teachers
and schools.155
The Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives, a
variation of Common Core State Standards customized by
the Board of Education, guides student assessments. Summative assessments for English language arts, mathematics,
science, and social studies for grades 3-11 originally were
scheduled for all students; however, in February 2015, the
state Department of Education received a waiver from the
state Board of Education that authorized a reduction in the
number of tests.156 The state also previously required the
administration of ACT Explore and ACT PlanO (during
the 2013-14 school year), but eliminated these assessments
from the West Virginia General Summative Assessment
program. Ultimately, students in grades 3-11 were administered a two-section test for English language arts and
mathematics; the first section comprised a computer adaptive test,P followed by a second section with writing tasks
and multi-step problems for measuring critical thinking,
problem solving, and real world skills. Students in grades
4, 6, and 10 were given fixed-form science tests.157
On April 10, 2013, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed into
law Senate Bill 359, which created a college- and careerreadiness initiative requiring the adoption of uniform and
specific college- and career-readiness standards for English
language arts and math and a comprehensive statewide
student assessment program in grade [11] to determine
whether a student [meets the standards]. The legislation
Please see page 3 for a text box addressing ACT-aligned student
assessments.
O
As of late October 2015, with the rewrite of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act still underway, and
regulations for state accountability systems still undetermined, it remains to be seen if vast changes to state student
assessment systems will occur in the near future. However,
clear pressure on Congress to limit student testing to some
degree continues, as evidenced by a recent announcement by
the administration that student testing should take no more
than 2 percent of a students classroom time.164 If sweeping new federal regulations are not enacted, incremental
changes likely will continue in the states, especially in relation to the growing trend toward decreasing the amount
of public school testing. Student assessments that have any
affiliation with the Common Core of State Standards also
likely will be phased out and replaced with other collegeand career-ready testing alternatives.
State and federal student assessment policies generally are
directed at four primary objectives: 1) identifying at-risk students for intervention; 2) monitoring student performance
to ensure adequate progress in learning; 3) collecting information about student strengths and weaknesses to guide
instruction; and 4) determining if instruction provided was
effective toward meeting standards of learning. Even with
the federal ESEA rewrite still outstanding, state legislatures
will continue to experiment with multiple strategies geared
toward attaining these educational objectives.
Conclusion
Southern states have adopted widely varying strategies for
testing the performance of their students and continue to
adjust their systems for optimal efficiency. After the rigorous student testing requirements for grades 3-8 mandated
by NCLB, a discernible trend toward the elimination of additional testing, or at least the introduction of flexibility
for testing requirements, is emerging. Meanwhile, with the
new national focus on college- and career-readiness, a few
Southern states recently have implemented student assessments, such as those developed by ACT, to measure these
capacities more accurately and further prepare students for
postsecondary education or the workforce.
A unit of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the National
Institute for Early Education Research conducts and communicates
research to support high-quality, effective, early childhood education
for all young children. The Institute offers independent researchbased advice and technical assistance to policymakers, journalists,
researchers, and educators.
Q
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Endnotes
1) DeNisco, Alison. New School Year Brings Testing Changes.
District Administration Magazine. September 2015.
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/new-schoolyear-brings-testing-changes (accessed September 1, 2015).
2) Testing: Frequently Asked Questions.
U.S. Department of Labor. (October 13, 2012).
http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingfaq.html (accessed September 24, 2015).2015
3) Obama Administration Sets High Bar for Flexibility from No
Child Left Behind in Order to Advance Equity and Support
Reform. U.S. Department of Education. (September 23, 2011).
http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/
obama-administration-sets-high-bar-flexibility-no-childleft-behind-order-advance-equity-and-support-reform
(accessed September 24, 2015).
4) ESEA Flexibility. U.S. Department of Education. (February
25, 2015). http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/eseaflexibility/index.html (accessed September 24, 2015).
5) Crouch, Elisa. Missouri Legislature Throws Common Core
Test out the Window. St. Louis Post Dispatch. June 4, 2015.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/
missouri-legislature-throws-common-core-test-out-thewindow/article_09441f40-b77a-5f0d-ae9f-7678a30d551a.
html (accessed June 3, 2015).
6) Gewertz, Catherine. Alabama Withdraws From Both Testing
Consortia. Education Week - Curriculum Matters.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2013/02/
alabama_withdraws_from_both_te.html?cmp=SOCSHR-FB (accessed September 2, 2015).
7) Tew, Joana. The Influence of the Online ACT
Aspire in Alabama | Edutopia. February 14, 2015.
http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/influence-onlineact-aspire-alabama (accessed September 2, 2015).
8) Student Assessment > ACT Aspire Information. Alabama
State Department of Education. https://www.alsde.edu/sec/
sa/Pages/assessmentdetails.aspx?AssessmentName=ACT%20
Aspire&navtext=ACT%20Aspire (accessed September 2, 2015).
9) Student Assessment > ACT Plus Writing Information.
Alabama State Department of Education.
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sa/Pages/
assessmentdetails.aspx?AssessmentName=ACT%20
Plus%20Writing&navtext=ACT%20Plus%20
Writing (accessed September 2, 2015).
10) Student Assessment > ACT WorkKeys Information.
Alabama State Department of Education.
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sa/Pages/
assessmentdetails.aspx?AssessmentName=ACT%20
WorkKeys&navtext=ACT%20WorkKeys
(accessed September 2, 2015).
11) ACT QualityCore: 2015-2016. Alabama State Department of
Education. https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sa/Testing/ACT%20
QualityCore%20v%202.pdf (accessed September 2, 2015).
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