Reduced Class Room Testing and Ensuring Low-Income Students Have Access to Advanced Courses
One of the most common issues I hear from teachers and parents is the over emphasis on testing of students, and the belief that reduced testing would offer time to focus on teaching. This week both the Senate and the House passed legislation which I supported that takes steps to reduce the testing burden on students in North Carolina and helps provide additional learning opportunities to thousands of children from low-income families across the state.
HB986 directs the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to study and make recommendations on ways to reduce local testing for students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade.
I am dedicated to improve outcomes for students in North Carolina, and after listening to teachers from around the state who are concerned that too much time is spent on testing, I believe that this bill is a first step towards reducing that testing burden.
The bill also makes changes to how students are enrolled in advanced math courses by directing that any student in grade 3 or above who achieves a "superior "score on their end-of-grade math test will automatically be enrolled in an advanced math course the following year.
These changes come after an investigation by the [Raleigh] News and Observer and Charlotte Observer last year found thousands of low-income children who achieve "superior" marks on end-of-grade tests are more likely to be excluded from advanced classes than their peers from families with higher incomes.
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