Commack BOE Calls on State to Reduce High-Stakes Testing

The Commack Board of Education passed a resolution Nov. 21, calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York State Education Commissioner John King to reduce “excessive” high-stakes standardized testing and re-examine the state’s Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) assessments. 

The resolution, which comes after one-year into the implementation of the Common Core standards, calls on the state to develop a system based on multiple forms of assessment which do not require extensive standardized testing and that would more accurately reflect a broader range of student learning. It also calls on the state to reduce testing mandates, show multiple forms of evidence of student learning and not mandate any fixed role for the use of student test scores in evaluating educators. 

“We do not oppose accountability in public schools and point with pride to the stellar performance of our students and teachers, but believe that standardized tests dominate instructional time and block our ability to make progress toward a world-class education system of student-centered schools and future-ready students,” the board stated in its resolution.

In its resolution, the board stated that high-stakes standardized testing undermines the quality of education by focusing teacher efforts on testing instead of learning experiences that would promotes creativity in problem-solving, communication and critical thinking.

“The over-emphasis on standardized testing has caused considerable collateral damage in too many schools, including narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, reducing love of learning, pushing students out of school, driving excellent teachers out of the profession and undermining school climate,” the resolution states.

In the resolution, the board states that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of student learning and educator effectiveness.

The board also said that such testing negatively affects all students, but especially low-income students, English language learners, children of color, and those with disabilities. 

The resolution was passed unanimously.