DeSantis dumps standardized testing in Florida schools
JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced public schools in Florida will no longer administer end-of-year state testing and will instead rely on year-round monitoring to assess student progress.
At a press conference with state education officials in Clearwater, DeSantis also defended his decision to ban mask mandates and keep schools open, citing new data that show a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state.
“We continue to see the numbers decline,” DeSantis, a Republican, said, citing pandemic statistics from Florida's health department. “Our admissions have been the lowest they’ve been since about the middle of July.”
DeSantis is locked in a court battle over mask mandates in schools. The governor has imposed fines on school board members who impose the mandates, and the matter is now under a court challenge.
On Tuesday, DeSantis ended another mandate by eliminating a decades-old requirement that public schools administer the Florida Standards Assessment to all students in April of each year.
The assessments measure student progress in math, English, and other critical skills, but they have grown unpopular because they require weeks of classroom preparation that displaces other learning.
“Yes, we're going to continue to make sure that we're measuring results having high standards,” DeSantis said. “We're going to do it in a way that's more student-friendly, parent-friendly, and teacher-friendly. There's going to be more feedback. There's going to be more individualized assessments that are going to be possible.”
The move is likely to draw criticism from those who say the FSA is an important tool for measuring student progress and ensuring that those who graduate are proficient in core skills such as reading, writing, and math.
Most states implement some form of statewide testing.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/desantis-dumps-standardized-testing-florida-182300546.html