Dive Brief:
- Florida's Lee County District voted (3-2) to back out of last week's decision to block standardized testing in the school district.
- Last week, the board voted to opt out of Common Core-aligned tests and end-of-the-year assessments. According to Education Week, last week's decision was largely influenced by concerned parents who feared increased emphasis on standardized testing was negatively impacting classrooms.
- The decision to revoke last week's decision comes after Superintendent Nancy Graham asked the board to reconsider, saying a lack of standardized testing could hurt students.
Dive Insight:
How could a lack of standardized testing hurt students? Well, the Florida School Boards Association responded to last week's decision saying students who didn't complete state standardized tests would be short the necessary requirements to graduate and earn a diploma. That probably wouldn't bode too well with many parents or students.
A school district's inability to make its own decisions about testing reflects education shifts in the last two decades. As much as some parents and teachers push back, standardized testing is currently entrenched in school systems and opting out is not as easy as a simple vote. While it may appear chaotic and disorganized at times, there are many mechanisms holding each policy in place.