From Connie Maxson
Former school administrator and Creston resident
Recently, the Iowa Senate passed SF 240 to re-examine the process as to how an assessment is chosen in Iowa. As this moves on to the House floor for debate, I encourage all representatives to consider the consequences of continuing to delay implementation of a new assessment. This legislation forgoes the work completed by the Iowa Assessment Task Force in choosing an assessment aligned to Iowa’s curriculum.
In 2013, the Iowa Assessment Task Force was formed (by the legislature) to rigorously study the current assessment in place and in 2014, they decided the Smarter Balanced Assessment best fits the needs of Iowa schools. Last summer, schools received the green light to begin preparations to implement the assessment in the 2017-18 school year. This assessment is aligned to our standards, is accessible to all students and accurately measures student growth, giving teachers and parents a realistic idea of student achievement.
Turning back now would not only prolong a process that started four years ago, but also wastes time and money spent by the Department of Education and districts across the state that had begun implementing the assessment.
In Iowa, we have always prided ourselves on our education standards and we should be just as proud of the tool we use to assess student progress. As a former educator, I will be very concerned if we move forward without Smarter Balanced.