SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson projected today that his recommendation to suspend standardized tests not required by the federal government starting next year would save more than $15 million, and called for the savings to be used to develop new high-quality assessments.
"Rather than continuing to spend scarce dollars and precious class time on outdated testing, we can invest these resources in developing the next generation of assessments that will help students focus on critical thinking and problem-solving— the skills they will need in college and their careers," Torlakson said.
The estimated savings and a summary of the state's current assessment system were detailed in a presentation today to the State Board of Education. The savings are broken down into contract savings and non-contract savings:
- Some $11,347,000 represents a reduction in contract costs and could be used for planning and facilitation of the transition to new assessments, and to further the development and/or acquisition of new assessments, particularly in mathematics and science.
- The remaining $3,750,000 represents a reduction in apportionments to local districts. These are local reimbursements that occur after the testing is completed.
Torlakson is sponsoring Assembly Bill 484 (Bonilla), which would enact his recommendations for transitioning California's schools to a new assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Read more of the CDE press release HERE.
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