State lawmakers have entered a debate over whether to give school districts greater flexibility with the testing schedule.
The House Education Committee considered a measure Monday, House Bill 224, that would direct the Virginia Board of Education to adopt regulations adding a Standards of Learning testing window before March 1, and to allow students who do not pass a test to retake it.
It would be up to the individual school districts whether to use the earlier window. The current testing window is from about mid-April through mid-June.
The bill tracks an effort of superintendents from Henrico, Fairfax, Albemarle and Roanoke counties and Virginia Beach, who have asked the state for flexibility for certain SOL tests.
Del. Gregory D. Habeeb, R-Salem, said under his bill, schools could choose to give the tests early and students who pass would move on to other material, but those who don't, "we've identified their shortcomings and we know what to help them with."
Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright has expressed concerns with changing the testing calendar and told the House Education Committee last week that math pass rates will fall with the debut of a new test.
"I encourage caution about entertaining proposals to make radical changes to the current testing calendar until we see how students perform on these assessments," she said in prepared remarks.
Habeeb amended his measure so that localities would have to cover the cost of additional testing. That raised a question as to whether school districts of greater means would be in a position to take advantage of the flexibility while other districts could not.
Anne D. Wescott, assistant superintendent for policy and communications at the state education department, said the change would require additional tests be created and costs would be associated.
After some debate, the measure was reported out of the education committee and sent to House Appropriations to consider any fiscal impact.
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