High Stakes Testing (H 5277, S 0117)

The ACLU of RI continued its work with student and education groups to stop high-stakes testing from keeping otherwise qualified students from graduating. In 2014, Rhode Island is scheduled to begin using passage of a standardized test known as the NECAP as a zero-sum graduation requirement. Such a test would have a devastating effect on the graduation rates of special education, limited English proficient, economically disadvantaged, Latino and African-American students. Legislation, strongly supported by the ACLU but opposed by the RI Department of Education, sought to ban the use of standardized tests for high stakes purposes. (H 5277, S 0117).  Although the General Assembly did not pass the bill, on the last day of the session they approved a joint resolution requesting the Board of Education to delay implementation of the high stakes testing requirement and instead consider a weighted compilation of state assessment (H 5277A, S 1047).  The General Assembly has now joined the city of Providence and dozens of advocacy groups in expressing opposition to the current RIDE policy. The Board of Education is expected to reexamine the issue this summer.  Try your hand at the NECAP with some of the test’s math questions here, and read our written testimony opposing high-stakes testing here.