Connecticut's largest teachers union wants state lawmakers and the governor to replace a controversial standardized test administered to students in grades three through eight.
The Connecticut Education Association said the students are suffering under the current system. On Thursday the union asked the state to develop its own test or find a replacement for the Smarter Balanced, or SBAC, test. The call comes as the general assembly prepares to reconvene in February.
Connecticut is among 42 states and the District of Colombia that have adopted the Common Core Teaching Standards. The SBAC test measures those standards.
Teachers say the test taking and preparations for them takes time away from instruction. They say it puts unfair pressure on special education students and students whose first language is not English, and, ultimately, discourages children.
“We will be reviewing CEA’s proposal — discussion is important, as is collaboration. We all want the same thing: for our kids to succeed and reach their potential. Just as classroom tests are important tools to help inform educators’ practice in the classroom, statewide assessments are essential to ensuring that we are delivering on our promise to all our children. We appreciate the work of all those on the front lines each and every day — our teachers — and will review the proposal," said Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell in a statement.
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