“Our member educators have always known that student learning is measured by more than a single test score. Today’s results reinforce our position on standardized assessments; we need a more holistic approach to determining outcomes and assuring positive growth for students than ‘teaching to the test.’
“Since the adoption of the SBAC in Connecticut educators have warned that its early scores could not be used to measure student progress over time. Until there is an additional year of validated results, the scores released today are merely a baseline.
“In the meantime, we should be concentrating on the issues raised by educators in the administration of the test and their impact on student learning. Among those are the technical challenges created by forcing children to use computer equipment that many — particularly those living in high poverty communities — are not familiar with.
“Going forward, we are anxious to engage with the mastery exam committee established by passage this year of S.B. 1095, An Act Concerning Students Assessments. Their charge is to ensure that standardized testing is appropriate and informs instruction and student learning at all levels — something that all families in Connecticut deserve.”
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AFT Connecticut represents approximately 30,000 professionals across the state, including PreK-12 teachers, paraeducators and education support personnel in 29 local and regional school districts. For more information, visit www.aftct.org or follow the labor federation on Twitter at @AFTCT and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aftct.
