Bacon's Rebellion

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HB 2094 Poses a Risk to Objective Assessments of Virginia Public Schools and Students

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by

sherlockj
in

by James C. Sherlock

Dungeness School House

HB 2094, Public schools; Standards of Learning assessments poses a risk that Virginia parents will be left without an objective measure of their children’s progress in school. That is likely a risk unforeseen by its patrons.

The bill has been introduced by Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Bristol, with support from co-patrons Del. Jeff Campbell, R-Marion, Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, Del. Will Wampler, R-Abingdon, and Sen. Todd E. Pillion, R-Abingdon.  

I hope that they will consider redrafting the bill to eliminate this risk.

Current Virginia law

“The Standards of Learning assessments administered to students in all grades three through eight shall meet but not exceed (a) reading and mathematics in grades three and four; (b) reading, mathematics, and science in grade five; (c) reading and mathematics in grades six and seven; (d) reading, writing, and mathematics in grade eight; (e) science after the student receives instruction in the grade six science, life science, and physical science Standards of Learning and before the student completes grade eight; and (f) Virginia Studies and Civics and Economics once each at the grade levels deemed appropriate by each local school board.”

HB 2094 – Currently Proposed Revision

“The Standards of Learning assessments administered to students in all grades three through eight shall meet but not exceed the minimum requirements established by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) of 1965, P.L. 89-10, as amended.”

Current federal testing requirements under ESSA

Under ESSA as currently written, states must test students in reading and math once a year, in grades 3 through 8, as well as once in high school. They must also test kids in science once in grade school, middle school, and high school.

The risk

The issue I see with HB 2094 is that under the proposed revised wording of the current Virginia law, if the federal ESSA testing requirements are eliminated, SOL testing requirements will automatically be eliminated in Virginia. 

That is a possibility because President-elect Biden, following the lead of the educational left and the national teachers unions, has already said he doesn’t favor “high stakes testing.”

If that happens, the change to Virginia law currently proposed in HB 2094 will leave Virginia with no requirement to objectively assess and compare the performance of state schools and individual students.

I suspect that is not the intent of the patrons.  

Recommended revision

If the patrons mean for SOLs to be given as currently required by ESSA, they should redraft their proposed change to reflect require in Virginia law testing students:

  • in reading and math once a year, in grades 3 through 8, as well as once in high school; and
  • in science once in grade school, middle school, and high school.

Again, I don’t think the potential elimination of SOLs is what those lawmakers had in mind with HB 2094, so I hope they will change the language to eliminate the risk.

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20 responses to “HB 2094 Poses a Risk to Objective Assessments of Virginia Public Schools and Students”

  1. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I dunno, who is saying there will be no testing requirements at the Federal level?

    The issue is high stakes testing which is harmful to all concerned according to many and I agree.

    We need to test and assess but more like PALS does – on a more frequent and less disruptive way than how SOL testing is done now.

    Beyond that, the critics of public education use that testing as a way to undermine and damage the role and value of public education.

    You see it right here in BR almost every week.

    And ironically, the critics of public education who say vouchers and private charters are a solution do not insist that testing standards be the same and those non-public standards charters held to the same academic standards.

    It’s pretty interesting that the bill comes from Republicans and SW Virgina ones at that – from the same region that TOUTS THEIR schools SOL performance!

    We DO need to assess academic performance – across the board – public schools AND any other schools that might receive public monies.

    But the way we currently do it – high stakes – I’d agree and agree with critics, does harm to students, teachers and education itself not because it tests but because the WAY it tests in such an intrusive and disruptive way.

    1. Matt Hurt Avatar
      Matt Hurt

      In our current educational system, high stakes testing is a very effective mechanism of ensuring valid data. If we don’t want to truly understand the gaps between our subgroups, then we can get rid of the high stakes tests.

      For instance, the PALS tests are really formative assessments intended to be used to inform teacher practice. This assessment includes specific instructions designed to provide teachers with reliable results. If the teacher follows the directions as prescribed, he/she should get some actionable data out of it.

      The trouble is when folks use this type of data for evaluative purposes, either at the teacher evaluation level, or school improvement. When the stakes get high, the reliability of the results tend to suffer, and not entirely through conscious means. The PALS instructions for administration include a ton of specifics for teachers, including time frames in which to allow students to answer questions. At the beginning of the year, teachers don’t expect their students to know as much, therefore, they tend to adhere to those time frames better. At the end of the year, teachers expect more, and they have developed really good relationships with those students. Therefore, they really want their kids to show what they know, and they are much more likely to give them more time on a given topic than the directions allow because they know the kid knows. When they do this, they have threatened the reliability of the data. Now this type of thing isn’t really important on a formative assessment, but would certainly skew the data for anything that has high stakes. The higher the stakes the more the data would be skewed. Short of sending out the assessment Nazis, there’s really no way to control for this type of thing to ensure valid and reliable data.

      The SOL tests are not perfect, but they at least do provide us a reliable, objective measure of how well our kids are doing relative to others across the state. We need to constantly evaluate whether or not they’re assessing the skills that kids really need to know, and whether they’re as effective to this end as possible.

      Now, if we wanted to allow teachers to only use low stakes assessments, we could certainly do so, but not with our current educational system. For some good examples of systems to allow this to happen, you might want to peruse The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. I really like the model employed by Finland (if my memory serves). They actually value education as measured by what they pay their teachers. Teaching is a highly competitive field, and someone like me would have never made the cut there. They have a culture of high expectations, and that coupled with the competitive nature to enter the teaching field allows them to pretty much get very high performance compared to the rest of the world without their own high stakes assessments.

      https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I dunno, who is saying there will be no testing requirements at the Federal level?

    The issue is high stakes testing which is harmful to all concerned according to many and I agree.

    We need to test and assess but more like PALS does – on a more frequent and less disruptive way than how SOL testing is done now.

    Beyond that, the critics of public education use that testing as a way to undermine and damage the role and value of public education.

    You see it right here in BR almost every week.

    And ironically, the critics of public education who say vouchers and private charters are a solution do not insist that testing standards be the same and those non-public standards charters held to the same academic standards.

    It’s pretty interesting that the bill comes from Republicans and SW Virgina ones at that – from the same region that TOUTS THEIR schools SOL performance!

    We DO need to assess academic performance – across the board – public schools AND any other schools that might receive public monies.

    But the way we currently do it – high stakes – I’d agree and agree with critics, does harm to students, teachers and education itself not because it tests but because the WAY it tests in such an intrusive and disruptive way.

    1. Matt Hurt Avatar
      Matt Hurt

      In our current educational system, high stakes testing is a very effective mechanism of ensuring valid data. If we don’t want to truly understand the gaps between our subgroups, then we can get rid of the high stakes tests.

      For instance, the PALS tests are really formative assessments intended to be used to inform teacher practice. This assessment includes specific instructions designed to provide teachers with reliable results. If the teacher follows the directions as prescribed, he/she should get some actionable data out of it.

      The trouble is when folks use this type of data for evaluative purposes, either at the teacher evaluation level, or school improvement. When the stakes get high, the reliability of the results tend to suffer, and not entirely through conscious means. The PALS instructions for administration include a ton of specifics for teachers, including time frames in which to allow students to answer questions. At the beginning of the year, teachers don’t expect their students to know as much, therefore, they tend to adhere to those time frames better. At the end of the year, teachers expect more, and they have developed really good relationships with those students. Therefore, they really want their kids to show what they know, and they are much more likely to give them more time on a given topic than the directions allow because they know the kid knows. When they do this, they have threatened the reliability of the data. Now this type of thing isn’t really important on a formative assessment, but would certainly skew the data for anything that has high stakes. The higher the stakes the more the data would be skewed. Short of sending out the assessment Nazis, there’s really no way to control for this type of thing to ensure valid and reliable data.

      The SOL tests are not perfect, but they at least do provide us a reliable, objective measure of how well our kids are doing relative to others across the state. We need to constantly evaluate whether or not they’re assessing the skills that kids really need to know, and whether they’re as effective to this end as possible.

      Now, if we wanted to allow teachers to only use low stakes assessments, we could certainly do so, but not with our current educational system. For some good examples of systems to allow this to happen, you might want to peruse The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley. I really like the model employed by Finland (if my memory serves). They actually value education as measured by what they pay their teachers. Teaching is a highly competitive field, and someone like me would have never made the cut there. They have a culture of high expectations, and that coupled with the competitive nature to enter the teaching field allows them to pretty much get very high performance compared to the rest of the world without their own high stakes assessments.

      https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/pisa-2018-results.htm

  3. sherlockj Avatar
    sherlockj

    Larry: “I dunno, who is saying there will be no testing requirements at the Federal level?”
    Answer, Joe Biden

    Larry: “And ironically, the critics of public education who say vouchers and private charters are a solution do not insist that testing standards be the same and those non-public standards charters held to the same academic standards.”
    Answer: Virginia Law:
    “Charter schools may operate free from various school district policies and state regulations as established in the school’s contract, but are subject to the following laws:
    – The state’s Standards of Quality, including Standards of Learning and Standards of Accreditation.
    – Civil rights, health, and safety.
    – Assessment and accountability requirements.
    – Nondiscrimination.
    Citations: Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-212.6; Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-212.6:1”

    Larry: “Beyond that, the critics of public education use that testing as a way to undermine and damage the role and value of public education. You see it right here in BR almost every week.”
    Answer. Point to one instance where someone here “undermined and damaged the role and value of public education”. One.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      I’ll give others a chance to weigh in here and also avoid being called on the carpet for too many comments but rest assured Jim… the evidence is abundant!

  4. sherlockj Avatar
    sherlockj

    Larry: “I dunno, who is saying there will be no testing requirements at the Federal level?”
    Answer, Joe Biden

    Larry: “And ironically, the critics of public education who say vouchers and private charters are a solution do not insist that testing standards be the same and those non-public standards charters held to the same academic standards.”
    Answer: Virginia Law:
    “Charter schools may operate free from various school district policies and state regulations as established in the school’s contract, but are subject to the following laws:
    – The state’s Standards of Quality, including Standards of Learning and Standards of Accreditation.
    – Civil rights, health, and safety.
    – Assessment and accountability requirements.
    – Nondiscrimination.
    Citations: Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-212.6; Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-212.6:1”

    Larry: “Beyond that, the critics of public education use that testing as a way to undermine and damage the role and value of public education. You see it right here in BR almost every week.”
    Answer. Point to one instance where someone here “undermined and damaged the role and value of public education”. One.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      I’ll give others a chance to weigh in here and also avoid being called on the carpet for too many comments but rest assured Jim… the evidence is abundant!

  5. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Lets add this to the discussion:

    Henrico County Public Schools Testing Calendar

    https://henricoschools.us/testing-calendar/

    And you will not find a person who is a bigger believer in the need for comprehensive testing and accountability for all schools that use public funds.

  6. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Lets add this to the discussion:

    Henrico County Public Schools Testing Calendar

    https://henricoschools.us/testing-calendar/

    And you will not find a person who is a bigger believer in the need for comprehensive testing and accountability for all schools that use public funds.

  7. Eric the Half a Troll Avatar
    Eric the Half a Troll

    Probably best just to convert K-12 to 13 year SAT prep schools and be done with the whole education thing…

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      SATs every year until the student gets a combined 400 (that was the lowest possible in the 70s).

      Time to leave this planet. Maybe we can move to the planet on which the Republicans have been living for the past 4 years?

      https://nypost.com/2021/01/18/sahara-desert-hit-by-icy-blast-as-snow-blankets-parts-of-saudi-arabia/

  8. Eric the Half a Troll Avatar
    Eric the Half a Troll

    Probably best just to convert K-12 to 13 year SAT prep schools and be done with the whole education thing…

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      SATs every year until the student gets a combined 400 (that was the lowest possible in the 70s).

      Time to leave this planet. Maybe we can move to the planet on which the Republicans have been living for the past 4 years?

      https://nypost.com/2021/01/18/sahara-desert-hit-by-icy-blast-as-snow-blankets-parts-of-saudi-arabia/

  9. ksmith8953 Avatar
    ksmith8953

    Although I agree with Matt, let me add this. Do more effective teaching, engaging students, and less need for review at the end of March through June will be needed. Some schools effectively review from April through June. That is a travesty for kids and for parents. Keep in mind, whatever the feds decide, when, how much, not one school system or the state can say no, we want to do it another way. Follow the federal dollars.

  10. ksmith8953 Avatar
    ksmith8953

    Although I agree with Matt, let me add this. Do more effective teaching, engaging students, and less need for review at the end of March through June will be needed. Some schools effectively review from April through June. That is a travesty for kids and for parents. Keep in mind, whatever the feds decide, when, how much, not one school system or the state can say no, we want to do it another way. Follow the federal dollars.

  11. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    The world is full of high stakes tests. Biden won it, and Trump lost. New Orleans just lost to Tampa Bay.

    Every lawyer, doctor and dentist must take professional exams in order to obtain a license to practice. I had to take two exams in two different states. And unlike the VP-elect, I passed both on the first try in both states.

    In my first year of law school, my civil procedure class that went from September to June had one closed-book test for the entire grade. All the other sections had several tests and free access to the federal rules. We just studied and took the test.

    Life is full of high-stakes tests. We owe to kids to subject them to such tests. It prepares them for life.

  12. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    The world is full of high stakes tests. Biden won it, and Trump lost. New Orleans just lost to Tampa Bay.

    Every lawyer, doctor and dentist must take professional exams in order to obtain a license to practice. I had to take two exams in two different states. And unlike the VP-elect, I passed both on the first try in both states.

    In my first year of law school, my civil procedure class that went from September to June had one closed-book test for the entire grade. All the other sections had several tests and free access to the federal rules. We just studied and took the test.

    Life is full of high-stakes tests. We owe to kids to subject them to such tests. It prepares them for life.

  13. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    It’s totally true, the world is chock full of “high stakes” testing but it’s on you not the folks that you learned from.

    I do not think that SOLs should be diminished in ANY way but I think the information can be collected in ways that do not put as much stress and pressure on students or teachers.

    That’s why I mentioned PALS and show the wide variety of testing that is already done that is NOT “high stakes”.

    There is no need to do that and it actually does motivate some to game the test or worse to cheat on it.

    We want a test and testing regime that you CAN’T cheat on and that means collecting the data through more normal activities.

    Remember one of the goals of the SOLs is to help inform the educators as to the NEEDS of those they are teaching – as much as it is to hold them accountable.

    What PALS does is tell you MORE about WHY the kid may be scoring low on the SOLs and when aggregated, it may well inform the school about how they are teaching and whether is is as effective as it might be.

    I’d advocate the very same approach for other schools that use public monies but are granted waivers on what public schools have to do.

    The goal is to help understand why some kids are not learning well from the way we teach now – as well as accountability but it makes no sense to punish skilled professionals for teaching the “wrong way”. The idea is to better understand what works and what does not and calibrate to a better way and that especially true with economically depressed kids of which some schools do well and others terrible. What is different? Do we really want the schools with problems to become de-facto career “killing grounds”?

  14. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    It’s totally true, the world is chock full of “high stakes” testing but it’s on you not the folks that you learned from.

    I do not think that SOLs should be diminished in ANY way but I think the information can be collected in ways that do not put as much stress and pressure on students or teachers.

    That’s why I mentioned PALS and show the wide variety of testing that is already done that is NOT “high stakes”.

    There is no need to do that and it actually does motivate some to game the test or worse to cheat on it.

    We want a test and testing regime that you CAN’T cheat on and that means collecting the data through more normal activities.

    Remember one of the goals of the SOLs is to help inform the educators as to the NEEDS of those they are teaching – as much as it is to hold them accountable.

    What PALS does is tell you MORE about WHY the kid may be scoring low on the SOLs and when aggregated, it may well inform the school about how they are teaching and whether is is as effective as it might be.

    I’d advocate the very same approach for other schools that use public monies but are granted waivers on what public schools have to do.

    The goal is to help understand why some kids are not learning well from the way we teach now – as well as accountability but it makes no sense to punish skilled professionals for teaching the “wrong way”. The idea is to better understand what works and what does not and calibrate to a better way and that especially true with economically depressed kids of which some schools do well and others terrible. What is different? Do we really want the schools with problems to become de-facto career “killing grounds”?

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