Test scores should inform, not punish students

Diane Kern and Lynne Derbyshire:

Next spring, thousands of Rhode Island high school students may be denied a diploma, not because of poor grades, but because of low scores on New England Common Assessment Program tests. The current state Board of Education's plan to use the standardized test to help grant or deny high school diplomas will certainly fail, not educate, our bright and capable students.

It is not right or wise to use high-stakes testing to keep college and career-ready students from graduating high school. Research also does not support using NECAP, or other high-stakes tests for that matter, as a high-school graduation requirement.

There are many flaws in the current board policy and the state Department of Education's five-year strategic plan, now ending its third year. We'll raise two here.

The foremost issue is the Rhode Island public school funding formula, which currently denies students access to an equitable quality public education. As our neighbors in Massachusetts did 10 years ago, we should have frontloaded the resolution of this serious problem.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 16, 2013 12:23 AM
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