A Missouri judge has issued a temporary restraining order that requires the state to stop making payments to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which is developing tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green issued the order late last month as part of a court case brought by a group of Missourians who are challenging the state’s membership in Smarter Balanced as an “illegal interstate compact,” according to local news media. The order notes that the consortium billed the state for more than $1 million in September.
A spokeswoman for the department said that while the lawsuit might affect the state’s membership and governance role in Smarter Balanced, state law requires Missouri to use the test, and that the state will do so regardless of the outcome of the suit.
