Delaware News

Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Supporting Student Progress Through Effective Assessments

Former Governor Jack Markell (2009-2017) | News | Date Posted: Friday, March 13, 2015



Every student, here at William Penn and across Delaware, deserves the opportunity to graduate high school ready to enter college or a career. But we can’t fulfill that responsibility if we don’t know when our students fall behind. For a long time, that’s what happened for many young people, particularly from disadvantaged populations – especially among minorities. It’s why civil rights groups like the Urban League are among the most vocal advocates for statewide assessments.

These tests are the most effective methods we have to identify all students who need extra help and ensure they get the right support. The fact that assessments play an important role in supporting our students means we must invest the time and resources in getting them right. While effective tests are vital, unnecessary tests don’t provide educators with valuable information. And they take away valuable teaching time.

So this past week, I announced an effort to identify and evaluate assessments required at the state, district, and school levels so we can eliminate repetitive or ineffective assessments. We’ll decrease the testing burden on students and teachers and increase the time available for instruction. However, we must also improve our assessments and recognize their value, not try to end them.

The push by a small, but vocal group to opt students out of state tests is unproductive for our schools, and unfair to the young people who might miss out on help they need. Educators and parents deserve a consistent way to track and compare the progress of students and ensure they are on track to getting the skills required to be ready for college or career.

By supporting our most effective assessments and eliminating others, we’ll better support our educators and students. And we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

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Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

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Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Supporting Student Progress Through Effective Assessments

Former Governor Jack Markell (2009-2017) | News | Date Posted: Friday, March 13, 2015



Every student, here at William Penn and across Delaware, deserves the opportunity to graduate high school ready to enter college or a career. But we can’t fulfill that responsibility if we don’t know when our students fall behind. For a long time, that’s what happened for many young people, particularly from disadvantaged populations – especially among minorities. It’s why civil rights groups like the Urban League are among the most vocal advocates for statewide assessments.

These tests are the most effective methods we have to identify all students who need extra help and ensure they get the right support. The fact that assessments play an important role in supporting our students means we must invest the time and resources in getting them right. While effective tests are vital, unnecessary tests don’t provide educators with valuable information. And they take away valuable teaching time.

So this past week, I announced an effort to identify and evaluate assessments required at the state, district, and school levels so we can eliminate repetitive or ineffective assessments. We’ll decrease the testing burden on students and teachers and increase the time available for instruction. However, we must also improve our assessments and recognize their value, not try to end them.

The push by a small, but vocal group to opt students out of state tests is unproductive for our schools, and unfair to the young people who might miss out on help they need. Educators and parents deserve a consistent way to track and compare the progress of students and ensure they are on track to getting the skills required to be ready for college or career.

By supporting our most effective assessments and eliminating others, we’ll better support our educators and students. And we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.