Statement from State
Superintendent Dorn on using state testing to help determine if students
are on a path to success after high school
Statement on Statewide Testing from State Superintendent Dorn
OLYMPIA &- April 7, 2015 &- Statewide testing is
important because it helps ensure all public school students, no matter
where they go to school, receive a quality education. In 2011, I
approved new college- and career-ready standards for our state in
English language arts and math. This spring, students will be assessed
on those higher standards using Smarter Balanced tests. Results from
these new tests will tell us if students are on track to be college- and
career-ready when they graduate from high school.
Some students are on track. Many are not.
Families and schools deserve to know if students are on a path
to success after high school. And students need extra support when they
aren't. If they don't test, it's more difficult to identify what skills
they lack and how best to help them. Students who don't test will miss out on opportunities, especially if they are juniors in high school.
These tests are designed to assess what skills students have
and what they need to work on. Students who do not achieve a college-
and career-ready score are not "failures.' But they do need additional
help to reach proficiency.
No test is perfect. That's why I've always said we need to rely
on "multiple measures' when we talk about student success. But the
Smarter Balanced tests, with their emphasis on real-world skills, are
better than any standardized test our state has administered before.
Unfortunately, testing opponents are spreading misinformation. It's important to focus on facts.
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