Nebraska OKs Its First Statewide Test, While Making Standards Mandatory

By Bess Keller

Nebraska's enactment last week of a new plan of statewide academic standards and assessments leaves Iowa as the nation's lone holdout in the movement to embrace at least some variety of uniform state testing.

Under a measure signed into law April 10 by Gov. Mike Johanns, Nebraska school districts will be required to give the same state-devised test of writing to all students in three grades, starting next spring. The move is part of a more comprehensive assessment plan hammered out this month in a legislative compromise that provides lawmakers with some of the accountability they were seeking, while leaving intact much of the local control state education officials have pushed for.

The new law, which was passed April 3 by the nonpartisan, unicameral legislature on a 39-1 vote, also calls for the existing state standards in the three testing grades to be rewritten to...