Scordo: New State Tests Were "Premature"

Elwood School District Superintendent Peter Scordo criticized the State Department of Education in a letter sent to parents Aug. 7, saying controversial new tests were "prematurely implemented."

The new tests were based off the more rigorous Common Core Learning Standards introduced in 2012-2013 and a substantial portion of the test material was never taught, said Scordo.

Many were up in arms when results came back showing a sharp decline in student proficiency throughout the state. But Scordo called the results "no surprise."

Related: State Test Scores Plunge l Opinion: Scores Aren't Clearest Method to Evaluate Teachers or Students

"These results are not attributable to a decline in performance," he wrote. Instead, they "reflect the fact that the assessments were prematurely implemented" before students could be instructed in the new curriculum. "...Because [these tests] are so radically different than prior tests, there's no logical basis for comparing student progress using prior test results."

Statewide, just 31 percent of students met or exceeded proficiency standards on tests taken in April by students in third to eighth grades. Last year, 55 percent of students were proficient in English and 65 percent were in math.

State Commissioner of Education John B. King, Jr. said the tests reflect a new standard for education and college readiness, calling the results "a new starting point on a roadmap to future success."

Tell us: Do you think the state acted prematurely? Are these tests a true measure of college readiness?

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