CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education expressed their disapproval of a bill Wednesday that would eliminate the Smarter Balanced Assessment and replace it with the ACT.
The Senate is expected to take the bill up Thursday. The state BOE encouraged Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to veto the legislation if it’s passed and comes to his desk.
“We really do have great concern at the state school board level that the intent of this bill is to direct the selection and the use of a specific vendor and specific test for student assessments,” said state BOE President Mike Green.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment is currently being used for a good reason, Green said.
“The assessment we currently use is the most closely aligned with our standards, and reflecting what our College and Career Readiness Standards are,” Green said. “This undermines that to the point where, if this legislation passed, we would have to discard that particular assessment.”
In the resolution, the state school board said that the interference of the legislature in the setting of standards under the bill was “inappropriate.” It also stated that never in the history of West Virginia has the BOE been limited by the legislature to select a certain vendor for standardized testing.
Last year, the state school board got rid of Common Core teaching standards, then referred to as next NextGen, and replaced them with College and Career Readiness Standards. Green said the board took a vote, with a majority voting to officially express disapproval.
Green said the current standardized testing system is currently being evaluated by a committee appointed by state Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano. He wanted to see that committee finish its work before making any rash changes.
“This is a stakeholder meeting with lots of representatives from all over the state who have an opinion about this,” Green explained. “We want to let that commission do its job before we do anything to get rid of the only assessment that aligns with our standards.
Green wasn’t sure how the Senate vote would turn out, but asked lawmakers to do what he felt was the right thing.
“I really can’t handicap what the Senate is going to do. We tried to make our case as clear as we possibly can,” he said. “We believe we’re in the right here, we believe we’re staying in our lane as a responsible state school board to do our job. We implore the legislature to let us do our job and let the superintendent do his job.”
The Smarter Balanced Assessment was used by 17 states last year.
The bill will be on third reading in the Senate Thursday. The 2016 Regular Legislative Session closes at midnight on Saturday.