Will Board of Ed. reconsider NECAP test policy?

As standardized testing becomes an increasingly politicized component of the so-called “education reform” movement, the state Board of Education could decide tonight to review a previous Board’s decision to use the NECAP test as a graduation requirement.

The AP reports today that Rhode Island is one of the places around the country where teachers, activists and students are pushing back against the use of standardized tests.

The initial decision was made approved in 2011 by then-Board members Robert Flanders, Patrick Guida, Anna Cano-Morales, Amy Beretta, Karin Forbes and Betsy Shimberg. A loose coalition ranging from Providence students to East Greenwich parents is asking the current Board to reconsider in light of new information.

Meanwhile, the ACLU reminded Governor Chafee, in a press release last week, that his appointees to the Board of Education haven’t debated the NECAPs as a graduation requirement.

Said Executive Director Steven Brown in a statement:

The new Board of Education has never had the opportunity to fully hear from the public, much less take a position on, the actions of its predecessor – the Board of Regents – in approving high stakes testing. We are hopeful that, as a principled leader who has shown his commitment to governing with careful consideration, Governor Chafee will support an official rule-making process where all members of the public can provide testimony so that the Board can consider in a deliberate manner whether to change the policy. Whatever the Governor’s position on this controversial issue, we hope he agrees it is at least worthy of a full examination.