LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A bill that would end standardized testing in public schools across California Wednesday was met with skepticism by the head of Los Angeles Unified School District.
Assembly Bill 484 would eliminate the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program and work to replace the exam with a new school assessment system designed around the Common Core state standards initiative.
Following the bill’s passage in the State Senate Tuesday, AB 484 will go to the Assembly and then to Gov. Jerry Brown, who was expected to sign it.
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy told KNX 1070 the bill will pilot a new assessment system and suspend the Academic Performance Index (API) — which measures the performance of schools and school districts, especially the academic performance of pupils — for two years.
“I actually think this is very thoughtful, we should actually be preparing for the new assessment system,” Deasy said. “My absolute problem with this is that only some kids are going to see the new test and some are not.”
Deasy’s counterpart at the state level, California’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, said the new assessment reflects the reality of changing labor force.
“We’re doing away with the old multiple choice, double test and strict memorization towards critical thinking, which is needed for almost every job in our new economy,” Torlakson said.
The Assembly was expected to vote on the bill on or after Sept. 12.
