Dive Brief:
- A bill moving through Virginia's senate that would reduce the number of state-mandated standardized tests on Monday passed a subcommittee vote (3-2).
- Should the bill pass, the number of standardized tests would drop to the minimum federal requirement, which is currently set at 14 tests in grades three through eight.
- The General Assembly last year cut the number of annual tests to 29 from 34.
Dive Insight:
State Sen. John Miller, who sponsored the bill, told the Associated Press that current testing has gone too far, resulting in rote memorization and stress at the expense of curiosity and creativity.
As Virginia personally debates its use of testing, the nation is also engaged in similar discussions. Currently, the Republican-controlled Congress is hashing out details around a re-authorization of No Child Left Behind, which would potentially reassess how and when students are asked to take tests, and what those tests will be used for.