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10 LONG TITLE
11 General Description:
12 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor urges the development
13 of methods and protocols that will minimize excessive standardized testing and its
14 negative effects on Utah's public schoolchildren.
15 Highlighted Provisions:
16 This resolution:
17 ▸ expresses support for educators throughout the state of Utah who strive to minimize
18 excessive testing and its negative effects on Utah's public schoolchildren;
19 ▸ urges that the Utah State Board of Education, with the participation of Utah's local
20 school boards, the Utah Parent Teacher Association, and the Utah Education
21 Association, to study methods and protocols related to testing that, given the current
22 restrictions imposed by federal law, minimize testing and maximize the integration
23 of testing into an aligned curriculum;
24 ▸ urges the Utah State Board of Education to report those methods and protocols to
25 the Utah Legislature's Education Interim Committee in the committee's September
26 2015 meeting;
27 ▸ urges that, at that same meeting, the Utah State Board of Education also report to
28 the Education Interim Committee any methods, approaches, and protocols that may require
29 legislation to implement; and
30 ▸ urges the Utah State Board of Education to make these legislative recommendations
31 to allow the Education Interim Committee time to study the issues and develop
32 potential legislation for introduction in the Utah Legislature's 2016 General Session.
33 Special Clauses:
34 None
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36 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
37 WHEREAS, the appropriate use of assessment is to inform daily instruction;
38 WHEREAS, excessive and unnecessary testing in public elementary and secondary
39 schools is counterproductive;
40 WHEREAS, educators care about how students learn and should be held responsible
41 for using available data, including appropriate formative assessments, to inform and
42 differentiate instruction for each student;
43 WHEREAS, since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Utah has
44 been obliged to shift too much of its focus in public education from teaching to testing;
45 WHEREAS, although standardized testing is a partial measure of performance in
46 school, undue emphasis on such testing combined with the attachment of high stakes leads to a
47 situation in which teachers may feel pressure to spend more time preparing students to take
48 tests and less time educating;
49 WHEREAS, this situation leads to students spending more time taking tests and less
50 time learning;
51 WHEREAS, many parents, concerned and hopeful that their children will gain
52 knowledge in school that prepares them to face economic and other life challenges, question
53 how excessive testing prepares their children;
54 WHEREAS, standardized testing often emphasizes rote memorization of basic facts
55 rather than deep understanding and application of concepts;
56 WHEREAS, overemphasis on standardized testing in certain core areas restricts the
57 implementation of a broad, rich curriculum;
58 WHEREAS, excessive standardized testing limits students' access to technology as a
59 learning tool because this technology must be used to administer testing;
60 WHEREAS, high stakes standardized testing is different from and should not be
61 confused with testing for Individualized Education Program development, Advanced
62 Placement, International Baccalaureate, or American College Testing examinations for college
63 credit;
64 WHEREAS, the Utah State Board of Education, with the participation of other
65 stakeholders, should study and implement methods, approaches, and protocols related to testing
66 that, given the current restrictions imposed by federal law, minimize the negative effects of
67 testing and maximize the integration of testing into an aligned curriculum;
68 WHEREAS, the Utah State Board of Education should report those methods,
69 approaches, and protocols it intends to implement to the Utah Legislature's Education Interim
70 Committee in its September 2015 meeting; and
71 WHEREAS, at that same meeting, the Utah State Board of Education should also report
72 to the Education Interim Committee any methods, approaches, and protocols that may require
73 legislation to allow the Education Interim Committee time to study the issues and develop
74 potential legislation for introduction in the Utah Legislature's 2016 General Session:
75 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
76 Governor concurring therein, expresses support for educators throughout the state of Utah who
77 strive to minimize excessive and unnecessary testing on Utah's public schoolchildren.
78 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge Utah's
79 education stakeholders, including the Utah State Board of Education, Utah's local school
80 boards, the Utah Parent Teacher Association, and the Utah Education Association to study and
81 develop methods and protocols, for implementation in Utah's public school classrooms, that
82 minimize excessive and unnecessary testing on Utah's public schoolchildren.
83 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge that the
84 Utah State Board of Education, with the participation of Utah's local school boards, the Utah
85 Parent Teacher Association, and the Utah Education Association, study methods and protocols
86 related to testing that, given the current restrictions imposed by federal law, minimize testing
87 and maximize the integration of testing into an aligned curriculum.
88 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge that the
89 Utah State Board of Education report those methods and protocols to the Utah Legislature's
90 Education Interim Committee in the committee's September 2015 meeting.
91 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge that, at that
92 same meeting, the Utah State Board of Education also report to the Education Interim
93 Committee any methods and protocols that may require legislation to implement.
94 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor urge the Utah
95 State Board of Education to make these legislative recommendations to allow the Education
96 Interim Committee time to study the issues and develop potential legislation for introduction in
97 the Utah Legislature's 2016 General Session.
98 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah State
99 Board of Education, each of Utah's local public school boards, the Utah Parent Teacher
100 Association, and the Utah Education Association.
Legislative Review Note
as of 2-9-15 6:27 PM
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel