Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has proposed suspending several tests not required under the No Child Left Behind Act for the 2013-14 school year, as part of a proposed overhaul of California’s testing system to prepare for the Common Core State Standards.
Many of the tests that wouldn’t be administered next year are end-of-course exams in high school, as well as some 2nd grade tests in English and math, under Mr. Torlakson’s plan, released last week. However, federally mandated tests like those in English/language arts and math for students in grades 3-8 would remain to satisfy NCLB requirements. (The U. S. Department of Education recently denied California’s request for a waiver from the NCLB law.)
In September, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, signed a bill requiring the state to change its school rating formula so that it relies less on standardized tests and more on measures like graduation rates and college readiness.
