DENVER - Lawmakers are poised to tackle the controversial issue of student testing - an issue that divides officials, parents and communities.
The Legislature has cleared a path for bipartisan legislation that aims to ease testing standards. A measure was filed in the Senate late Thursday, with sponsorship from Sens. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, and Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs.
The measure would reduce the number of language arts and math tests in high schools, and make sure the state is not requiring tests in 11th or 12th grades, other than the ACT, which is taken in 11th grade.
The bill would also streamline kindergarten assessments and the READ Act, a 2012 law that focuses on K-3 literacy and assessments to lessen the number of student tests.
The proposals are based on recommendations from the Standards and Assessment Task Force, which was created from legislation in 2014.
Kerr acknowledged that sponsors have a fight ahead of them, as education issues come with a long list of stakeholders, including teachers, parents, school boards, education reform groups, unions, and school executives.
The move comes as Colorado recently began implementing PARCC assessments, or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The tests, part of national Common Core standards, aim to create uniformity in schools across the nation.
The standards set guidelines for K-12 education, including requirements in math and language arts at each grade level. Colorado adopted Common Core standards in 2010.