The Florida School Boards Association on Thursday questioned the reliability of the state’s school-accountability system, less than a week after school superintendents said they had lost confidence in the system.
“The accountability system in Florida is broken,” Andrea Messina, executive director of the school boards association, said in a news release. “In such a high-stakes testing environment, it is imperative that we reassess current procedures so that we can move forward with a reliable system that educators, students and the community can support.”
The stances by the school boards association and the Florida Association of District School Superintendents came after months of controversy about the new Florida Standards Assessment, which was plagued by technical problems this spring when it was given to students. The assessment is a key part of the accountability system for students, teachers and schools. The school boards association said it supports state standards and valid assessments.
“However, Florida school board members are deeply concerned about the integrity of Florida’s current accountability system, which they believe has continuously deteriorated,” Thursday’s news release said.
State officials in recent weeks have touted the validity of the Florida Standards Assessment, pointing in part to a study conducted by Alpine Testing Solutions and edCount, LLC.
“We are committed to ensuring that all Florida students are prepared for college or career, and I am pleased that this third-party study confirmed our confidence in Florida’s statewide assessments,” Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said last month when the study was released.
source: The News Services of Florida