After uproar, state cuts English test time

Originally published: December 19, 2011 8:29 PM
Updated: December 19, 2011 10:03 PM
By JOHN HILDEBRAND  john.hildebrand@newsday.com

Photo credit: AP, 2005 | A file photo of school exams in progress.

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The State Education Department moved Monday to quiet objections from schools on Long Island and elsewhere by cutting more than an hour's time from extended English tests that will be administered this spring in grades 3 to 8.

Under a revised schedule, estimated completion times for English Language Arts tests will be about three hours, and testing will be spread over three days. The state's original schedule, issued last month, called for English tests of up to four hours, 15 minutes, compressed into two days.

A statewide protest over that original proposal led to the Nov. 29 resignation of the state's testing chief, David Abrams.

Even with revisions, upcoming English tests will be 10 to 25 minutes longer than those administered last spring. Math tests in the same grade levels will be 40 to 70 minutes longer.

Technically, the state is requiring schools to set aside additional time for students who need it. But local district officials interviewed Monday said they didn't think this would result in major disruptions.

State authorities say longer tests will provide more detailed information on how much students have learned over the past year, along with a bigger supply of questions that can be used in future exams. Test quality is an increasing concern, because student scores are to be used as part of teacher evaluations for the first time in June.

"Our goal is to help every student graduate from high school college- and career-ready," State Education Commissioner John B. King Jr. said in a prepared statement.

The state's revised schedule was generally greeted with relief on Long Island. In particular, local school administrators praised Ken Slentz, the state's new deputy commissioner for elementary and secondary education, for consulting with their representatives before announcing the changes.

"It's not that we're jumping up and down, but it's doable," said Lorna Lewis, the East Willistonschools chief and chairman of a curriculum committee for the State Council of School Superintendents.

"It's absolutely an improvement," said Henry Grishman, Jericho's superintendent and a past state council president. "But it still is an excessive amount of test-taking time for young kids. Sixty minutes without a break is not sensitive to an 8-year-old youngster."

Another continuing sore point is the state's April 17 starting date for testing. It comes one day after most Island students return to classes from spring break -- not an ideal time to focus young minds on testing, educators note. The state originally scheduled tests later in the spring, but moved the date back in order to have scores ready for teacher evaluations by a statutory deadline of June 15.

LOOK AT TESTING

How the state's revised testing schedule this spring will affect fourth-graders.

Revised plan: English Language Arts tests will be conducted over three days, in segments of 70, 60 and 45 minutes. The first day's segment will include a short break. Math testing also will be over three days, in sessions of 60 minutes each.

Original plan: English testing was to be condensed into two days, with segments of 75 and 65 minutes the first day, and segments of 50 and 65 minutes the second day. Math testing also was scheduled for two days, with two 60-minute segments the first day and one 60-minute session the second day.

Last spring's schedule: English tests were administered over three days, in segments of 70, 30 and 60 minutes. Math tests lasted two days, in sessions of 70 minutes each.

---- John Hildebrand