By: Jason Scheer
Off-year testing, which is in effect until the end of the current school year, is a policy implemented by the New York State Education Department that requires students to take English Language Arts (ELA) and math exams in the fourth and eighth grades exclusively. The new law, which will take effect in the 2005-06 school year, will require students to take exams every year from grades three through eight.
Michael Roccoforte, the district's superintendent for instruction, highlighted key issues stemming from these changes during last week's school board meeting. He explained that all students, regardless of their special needs or language barriers, are required by the state to take the tests. The only exemption granted to the district is that alternative tests can be provided to 1 percent of special-education students. English as a Second Language students will be required to take the tests, regardless of their proficiency. "We can have a student in third grade come in as an ESL student in January, and that student will sit for the test in March," Roccoforte said.
Roccoforte, and other members of the board, said they were worried about the amount of testing time, claiming that test prep work in every grade will cut into traditional instruction time. Teachers are concerned that their new responsibility for grading portions of these tests will drive them out of the classroom and further reduce instruction time. "We are concerned about testing time," Roccoforte said, reinforcing the issue.
There are also tremendous costs that will accompany the testing changes. At $4.40 per test, the cost of giving the exams across the grades will be more than $29,000. Coupled with the cost of paying substitute teachers, who will have to be brought in so regular teachers can concentrate on grading, the district will be forced to pay nearly $65,000. Roccoforte called those estimates "conservative" and said that they are recurring costs. In addition, the tests will come on the heels of other standardized tests already administered by the district. "We will be paying these [additional] costs every year," Roccoforte said.
The impetus for the changes is President Bush's No Child Left Behind legislation. In response to the act, which called for sweeping educational changes, different states adopted different plans in order to conform with it. Baldwin's superintendent of schools, Dr. Kathy Weiss, contacted representatives from the state, asking for leniency in implementing the changes and suggesting alternatives. However, according to Roccoforte, no response has been forthcoming. "I'm not sure if those suggestions were even heard or listened to," he said.
A spokesman for the State Education Department said the new plan makes sense, because schools throughout the state already issue end-of-the-year math and English exams, and the new tests will simply replace the old ones. As for the time demands on students and staff, the spokesman said, most of the exams will be divided into sessions, taking approximately 45 minutes each, the approximate duration of a school period.
Parents who attended the board meeting were unhappy with the changes, wondering how the state could mandate such sweeping changes in such a short amount of time. Said one mother of two Baldwin students, "[The new plan] doesn't make any sense."
More information on the new testing plan can be found at www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-8/faq.htm.
Use of building facilities questioned
In addition to off-year testing, the issue of building use was also a hot topic at the meeting.
Ron Trimboli, a representative of the Baldwin Police Activity League, questioned the board's decision to let certain groups use district property after school hours. He said that his group, which primarily serves Baldwin youth, should be given priority over other organizations.
Trimboli explained that in recent years, the PAL has had to cut down on programs because the facilities were not available. Furthermore, he said that from time to time, gymnasiums were closed without notice, sometimes for a school function that would not be taking place for a week.
Others in attendance suggested that a committee on building use be formed to alleviate such concerns.
School Board President James Scannell said that the board would take such a measure under consideration, but added that he thinks the board does a good job of balancing the needs of the various groups that make use of the district's facilities.
Comments about this story? JScheer@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
