EdVANTAGE Blog

At its June meeting three weeks ago, the State Board of Regents endorsed moving the grades 3 through 8 state assessments in English language arts and math from January and March, respectively, into May.

The State Education Department is now attempting to settle the details for a revised testing calendar.

An article in yesterday’s Elmira Star-Gazette reveals more of the Regents’ thinking in endorsing the change.

Here are some excerpts, quoting Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch:

While acknowledging that there are concerns [raised by local educators], Tisch said state officials feel they must make the change to preserve the integrity of state tests.

A growing concern at the state level is that the tests are becoming too easy and too predictable, leading to a misleadingly optimistic picture.

Those concerns hit “a fever pitch” this spring with the spike upward in scores.

One issue is the gap between scores on state tests and those on federal tests, Tisch said.

With this in mind, state officials met with CTB/McGraw Hill, developer of New York’s tests, about the need for changes to ensure the integrity of the tests.

CTB/McGraw Hill assured officials that if the tests were moved to May, the company could build in an audit component to ensure their reliability and viability, Tisch said.

Also, moving the tests to May means they will be more comprehensive and will cover more of the year’s curriculum, making them less predictable, she said.

“Testing in January is a bizarre time to test anyway,” the chancellor said. “Everyone is out sick with a cold, and the weather is a factor.”