Survey: Majority Of Experts Says Florida’s Next Standardized Test Is On The Wrong Track
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Education experts are worried about the development of Florida's next standardized test.
For the first time, a majority of experts surveyed by a Washington D.C.-based education consulting are concerned about the progress Florida and 21 other states are making developing the next generation of standardized test.
A majority of “political and policy insiders” Whiteboard Advisors surveyed said the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is on the “wrong track.”
“Millions of dollars have been spent over the past few years with very little concrete to show for it,” one insider said.
Florida is one of 21 states helping design the PARCC exam as part of a move to new education standards known as Common Core. Education Commissioner Tony Bennett said this week that Florida may need to come up with a ‘Plan B’ in case the test isn’t ready for the 2014-2015 school year.
PARCC is one of two tests states are developing to assess Common Core standards. The other is the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
Nearly nine out of 10 insiders surveyed thought it was likely a state would leave the testing coalition. Alabama withdrew from both PARCC and Smarter Balanced earlier this month.
“A few more are likely to drop out, but not enough to cause alarm,” an insider wrote.
Bennett warned the State Board of Education that other states might have difficulty finding the political will to support the tougher standards and cost that Common Core will require.
