5 Ways ESSA Impacts Standardized Testing | Edutopia

ESSA could change that. The law decouples high-stakes decisions and statewide testing. "Adequate yearly progress" has been eliminated, along ... TheNoChildLeftBehinderahascometoanend.OnDecember10,PresidentObamasignedtheEveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA),whichreplacesNCLBasthelatestiterationoftheElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct(ESEA,thenation'smainK-12educationlaw).Theeducationcommunity(atleastatthenationallevel)largelysupportsthenewlaw.Policywonksaretoutingthereversalofalong-standingtrendtowardsfederalinvolvementineducationandthereturnofcontrolfromstatestodistrictsoverkeyeducationinitiativeslikeaccountability,schoolturnarounds,andteacherevaluations.High-StakesTestingandESSAOneofthebiggestcomplaintsaboutNCLBwasthetest-and-punishnatureofthelaw--thehigh-stakesconsequencesattachedtostudentstandardizedtestscores.Thelawunintentionallyincentivizedafocusontestprepandthenarrowingofthecurriculuminsomeschools,aswellastheover-testingofstudentsinsomeplaces.ESSAcouldchangethat.Thelawdecoupleshigh-stakesdecisionsandstatewidetesting."Adequateyearlyprogress"hasbeeneliminated,alongwiththesanctions--includingpossibleschoolclosure--associatedwithit.Alsoeliminated:thefederalroleinteacherevaluation,meaningthatstatesnolongerhavetoincludestandardizedassessmentscoresinthem.Inaddition,underESSA,forthefirsttime,statesmustusemorethanacademicfactorsintheiraccountabilitysystem.Atleastoneindicatorofschoolsuccessorstudentsupport--suchasattendance,schoolclimate,oraccesstoAPorotheradvancedcoursework--mustbeincludedinmeasuringschoolperformance(thoughacademicfactorsmuststillmakeupatleasthalfofallindicatorsforaccountabilitypurposes).AsthepresidentoftheAmericanFederationofTeachers,RandiWeingarten,hasputit,"high-stakestestingwillnolongerbethebe-allandend-allofourkids'education."Thesechangestheoreticallyfreeeducatorsfromtheneedtoteachtothetest.Theycouldalsoresultinnewaccountabilitysystemsthatincentivizedifferentbehaviorsamongteachersthatchangehowschoolsinthiscountrywork(forbetterorworse).Butitwilltaketimefortheimpactofthesechangestotrickledowntotheclassroom--timeforstatestodevelopandrefinetheseaccountabilitysystems,andtimeforschoolstorespondtothem.HowDoesItImpacttheClassroom?Foreducatorsfocusedontheirworkforthenextday,week,month,orschoolyear,thenotionoflong-termchangedrivenbypolicycansometimesbeabitabstract.Plus,inmanyways,notmuchwillchangeatfirst.ESSAmaintainsanannualassessment,testingeverychildfromthirdtoeighth gradeinmathandEnglishlanguageartseachyearandonceinhighschool,aswellasinsciencethreetimes. Andschoolsarestillrequiredtotest95percentoftheirstudents.Butthereareaspectsofthelawthathavethepotentialtochangeclassroomtestingassoonasthe2016-17schoolyear.Forexample,ESSA:Allowsdistrictstousealocallydetermined,nationallyrecognizedtestliketheACTorSATinsteadofthestatetestinhighschools,whichcouldhavehugeimplicationsforclassroompracticeAllowsstatestoinstituteacaplimitingtheamountoftimethatstudentsspendtakingtests,whichcouldreducethattime(andthetimeeducatorsspendadministeringthem)Fundsstatesinauditingandstreamliningassessmentsystems,eliminatingunnecessaryandduplicativeassessmentsEstablishesapilotprograminuptosevenstates(orconsortiaofstates)thatallowsforthecompleterevampingoftheirassessmentsystem,meaningthatit'spossiblethatsummativestatetestsasweknowthemwillbeeliminated,replacedbycompetency-basedassessments,performance-basedassessments,interimassessments,orsomethingelseentirelyAllowsfortheuseofcomputer-adaptivetestinginstateandlocalassessments(NCLBdidnot),aprocessthatcouldallowformuchmore accuratedataonstudentperformanceOfcourse,noneofthesearegivens.Justbecausethelawallowssomething doesn'tmeanthatitwillhappen--orhappenwell.Andtherearecertainlymanyaspectsofassessmentthatthelawdoesn'taddress(thetimingoftestingandscorerelease,forexample)thatarecriticalforensuringthattestscoresareusedinmeaningfulways.Still,inanerawheneducatorsandparentsalikequestionthetestingpracticesthatexistinthenation'spublicschools,thelawhasthepotentialtodrivechange.Willitbeenough?Whatareyourthoughtsandexperiences?Pleaseshareinthecommentssectionbelow.Close