Barresi: OK To Implement Own Standardized Tests
State pulling out of consortium, to develop own standardized tests
BY ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Monday, July 01, 2013
State Superintendent Janet Barresi announced Monday that she is withdrawing Oklahoma from a testing consortium of 20 or so other states to coincide with the new Common Core curriculum standards.
Instead of using new assessments developed through the group, called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, Oklahoma will work with a testing company to develop its own new standardized tests for the 2014-15 academic year.
“We came to this decision after many months of deliberation, listening to classroom teachers, curriculum directors, superintendents and visiting with legislative leadership and the governor’s office,” Barresi told the Tulsa World.
Many educators and parents groups have been vocal in recent months about their concern about the additional hours of test-taking that would be involved in PARCC assessments.