BOARD SAYS END OF INSTRUCTION TESTS 'STRANGLING' PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TEACHERS
Dale Denwalt
Daily Elk Citian
In harsh words for the state legislature and political officials, the Elk City Board of Education is pushing for an alternative to what it calls "high stakes" testing.
A resolution unanimously adopted Monday criticizes the end of instruction testing required for students to graduate high school, saying the tests are "strangling" public schools and that the emphasis on testing is a "perversion" of its original purpose. It also warns against using children as "political pawns." The resolution has no effect of law, and only states the opinion of the board.
"I think that it's very unfair for students that they're put under this scrutiny. I think it's very unfair for our teachers," Superintendent Buddy Wood told the Elk City school board.
To graduate high school, students must now pass four of seven subject tests.
"I'll tell ya, 95 percent of our students will pass it," Wood said. But "if they don't pass, they don't graduate. Straight up."
The resolution has now been adopted by at least 142 of the 521 school boards in the state, according to figures released by the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, a group that lobbies the legislature on education issues.
For the complete article, please pick up the Thursday, September 13, edition of the Daily Elk Citian.
Click here to view the resolution the Elk City School Board adopted this week.