It is official that there will no longer be STAR Testing in California; the test will be replaced with field tests of select Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exams.
Governor Jerry Brown, in partnership with the State Legislature, swept away the old-fashioned tests and brought about a more up-to-date way of testing.
It is still unknown what exactly will be given out as far as the material the tests will cover. For this year, the majority of the STAR tests will be suspended. Districts will administer field tests of the Smarter Balanced assessments. Half of the students will take math and the other half will take English-language arts tests. The test will be computer based, allowing for a much broader range of test questions than the multiple-choice exams given under STAR testing.
“I am excited about the change; but I know it will be challenging to get everyone accustomed to it,” said Principal Alex Ruvalcaba.
It is thought the SBAC will allow for a more precise measurement of student’s skills and knowledge than the former tests.
“Faced with the choice of preparing California’s children for the future or continuing to cling to outdated policies of the past, our state’s leaders worked together and made the right decision for our students. As a teacher, I’m thrilled to see our state and our schools once again leading the way,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson stated in an press release.
The SBAC tests are designed to meet federal and state level accountability requirements and provide teachers and parents with timely, accurate information to measure student’s performance and progress.
The test is to be administered state-wide by the 2014-2015 school year.
This new revolution is fond amongst the students at West Covina High School.
“I feel good about the change because the tests were not beneficial to anyone,” senior Miranda Meda said.