DENVER (KDVR) — Should kids across the state take standardized tests this year? The question has triggered a serious debate among parents and teachers.
Two contradictory surveys show how divided the two groups are about standardized testing this year.
Some teachers say it’s the last thing their students need to worry about.
“We are united as educators, parents and administrators. We believe the wisest thing to do for our students is to focus every single second we have left this semester on giving out students the best instruction we can so they can focus on learning,” Aime Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, said at a press conference Thursday.
A group of stakeholders joining the association for the conference said its poll of 729 Colorado voters found only 7% think schools should prioritize standardized testing.
“There is no norm for any student in this state. The more time we have to tend to our students’ needs, the more confident and secure they can be to grow and thrive as empowered and independent learners,” said Estes Park High School special education teacher Emily Bochenek.
A group of education non-profits led by “A+ Colorado” says their survey shows 66% of parents with kids in kindergarten through 12th grade support a statewide assessment to check what they call “student learning loss.”
That tests would be given at the end of the year.
Instead, teachers like Monica Johnson with the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance said they want “real time” assessments so they can address learning gaps immediately rather than tests like the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS). They also argue administering standardized tests could be a logistical nightmare.
“To administer CMAS, schools would have to build in time to pull back any computer devices that have been distributed to students, prepare, clean and secure the devices, then redistribute the devices back to students,” said state Rep. Emily Sirota.
It’s one of several reasons why lawmakers like Sirota are looking into legislation that would request a federal waiver to omit CMAS testing this year.
CMAS tests are normally given out in the spring around April.
Educators are pushing for a decision about the testing to be made quickly as the end of school year quickly approaches.