Critics pan White House plan to give states flexibility in testing

FREDREKA SCHOUTEN GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration plans to give states new flexibility to meet federal testing requirements for public schools. But some critics say that could lead to a patchwork of tests that won't help parents or teachers track whether students are learning.

"The more you allow a variety of tests, the less likely you are to have reliable results," said Jack Jennings, the director of the Center on Education Policy and a former education aide to House Democrats.

"If (the administration) gives in on the nitty-gritty, they've given in on the real reform," he said.

The "No Child Left Behind" law, signed in January, mandates annual math and reading testing for all public school students in grades three through eight. It also requires the tests to gauge how well students are meeting state standards on what students should know and be able to do in each grade.

Under draft rules, Education Department officials would give states the flexibility to use a combination of state and local tests. States also could use either tests that measure how students perform against state standards or exams that show how they compare to other students around the country.

Groups that represent state and local educators have urged the administration to give them greater freedom on the testing requirements, and they applaud the Education Department's move.

The administration's plan is not final. The Education Department will conduct four meetings across the country to take public comment and will decide on final regulations in July.

School reform advocates will follow the issue closely.

Without common state-wide tests, students in poor, urban areas could be held to a lower standard than their suburban counterparts, said Amy Wilkins, who lobbies on behalf of poor and minority children at the Washington, D.C.-based Education Trust.

"There's nothing here that precludes states from doing the right thing, and there's nothing here that requires them to do the right thing," Wilkins said.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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