Texas is the home of high-stakes testing, and it is also home to some independent school boards who are sick of high-stakes testing. After 20 years or more of using testing to reward, punish, and shame students, teachers, principals, and schools, those closest to the schools know that this strategy has failed. Parent pressure forced the state legislature to back down on plans to expand the number of high-stakes tests from 5 to 15. Almost every school board in the state adopted resolutions opposing the testing regime.
Now the Arlington, Texas, school board has passed a resolution calling on the legislature to let local school districts devise their own accountability plans and specifically, to de-emphasize the importance of high-stakes testing. The district has created its own accountability plan, and only two of its 28 measures are test-baed. This may upset the battalion of lobbyists for Pearson, but it reflects the will of the people.
Here is the letter that accompanied the resolution (which is linked inside the letter):
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Arlington ISD, I am writing today to share information about the resolution regarding high-stakes assessments that the Board approved on April 16. The resolution urged the 84th Texas Legislature to end high-stakes assessments and to empower local school board to create and implement local accountability systems using standard measures of student success.
Accountability and assessment is a key point within the district’s legislative agenda. While an effective, efficient and equitable academic accountability system is necessary to carry out the mission and objectives of the Texas public education system, Texas’ current accountability system is too complex for school districts to drive continuous improvement for districts and campuses. Assessments should provide standard measures while allowing local superintendents and school boards to control how to respond to those measures but should not cause undue stress to students and families or teacher dissatisfaction and burn-out.
With the adoption of the Achieve Today. Excel Tomorrow. strategic plan, the district developed a comprehensive local accountability system. In that system, only two of the 28 measures are related to high-stakes STAAR testing. Other items included in that system are participation and success in rigorous courses, percent of graduating seniors taking and performing well on a college-bound assessment, percent of students on track to graduate on time, college enrollment and success, extracurricular and co-curricular participation, facilities, customer service, and effectiveness of leadership development. Each year, the Board receives a report on the districts’ success relative to the local accountability system. Last year’s report is available online.
We will continue to work with legislators throughout the session to encourage local control in establishing a sensible local testing system and setting an accountability system that works for the local community and best serves our students.
Sincerely,
Bowie J. Hogg
Board President
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Hogg is a famous name in Texas politics. Hope this adds a bit to the well-written and reasonable appeal for local accountability measures.
Laura,
I remember the governor who had two daughters and named them Ima Hogg and Ura Hogg. Fact, not a joke.
What did that make him? A boar? I hope he was and is not representative of Texas politicians!
http://trueschoolreform.org/2015/03/dallas-school-board-and-mayoral-elections/
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20150401-editorial-we-recommend-edwin-flores-for-disd-district-1-trustee.ece
Dr. Ravitch, thank you for the coverage of Texas school politics. In Dallas we are facing possibly the most critical school board vote in recent history of Dallas ISD. The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board is endorsing Edwin Flores for the district 1 seat. He is a “reform” fanatic, as well as a huge supporter of failed Home Rule Charter movement in Dallas.
His opponent, Dr. Kyle Renard, was not given endorsement because “She’s smart but seems captive to anti-reform thinking. She wrote in her Voter Guide questionnaire, “We do not need outside charter schools within our system.” She also objects to Teach for America teachers, who she says “just contribute to the constant turnover in the schools.”
The mayoral race is crucial as well. Current mayor Mike Rawlings, former CEO of Pizza Hut, also supported Home Rule. He clearly wants to play a much larger role in the schools. Teacher groups all support his opponent, Marcos Ronquillo.
Any posting on your blog regarding this election, to be held on May 9, would be helpful. Thank you for all you do.
Also in Dallas ISD election, District 3 will not be much of a contest, as incumbent, lawyer Dan Micciche, is facing mobile DJ David Lewis. Although Micciche has supported most all of Miles reforms, including a very flawed Teacher Excellence Initiative (pay for performance), he does seem to be a bit more open-minded and monumentally more qualified than his opponent. http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20150401-editorial-we-recommend-dan-micciche-for-disd-district-3-trustee.ece
In District 9, 24 college dropout Damarcus Offord, now employment listed as “activist” is facing incumbent Bernadette Nutall. Nutall has been one of superintendent Mike Miles most vocal critics on the board. She very smart and well-versed in school board politics and budgetary matters. Offord has the clear edge in donations from super PAC’s and monied “reformers.” However, even the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board endorsed Nutall.
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20150401-editorial-we-recommend-bernadette-nutall-in-disd-district-9.ece
Incidently, Offord has spent $1000 on phones from Metro PCS, and $8500 on “call bank” support to various associates of his. http://www.dallasisd.org/Page/13930
Dr. Ravitch, The Dallas ISD and mayor election this May 9 are the most crucial in recent Dallas history. The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board is endorsing a pro “reform” candidate Edwin Flores for District 1. The following article and comment section give a good idea where he stands.
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20150401-editorial-we-recommend-edwin-flores-for-disd-district-1-trustee.ece
“A patent attorney, Flores, 48, also was an early proponent of performance-based teacher evaluations, now a major element of Superintendent Mikes Miles’ classroom reform initiatives.
He serves on the local boards of KIPP charter schools and Teach for America, and he was a member of the Home Rule Charter Commission to determine whether DISD could operate more efficiently with autonomy from traditional state regulations. “School choice is something I supported back when I ran the previous time and will continue to support,” he said.”
Dr. Kyle Renard was not given the Morning News endorsement because ,“She’s smart but seems captive to anti-reform thinking. She wrote in her Voter Guide questionnaire, “We do not need outside charter schools within our system.” She also objects to Teach for America teachers, who she says “just contribute to the constant turnover in the schools.”
Any posting on this election may be helpful, given your stature and expertise.
Dr. Ravitch, another point. There has been an ongoing battle for transparency between superintendent Miles and the school board. Information and documentation have been either withheld or given at the last minute before a vote. Dallas ISD has a $1.7 billion budget. The PAC’s and donors who support Miles reforms want rubber stampers, who will not scrutinize agenda items, or ask questions regarding spending approval. Without oversight and accountability, Mike Miles will have carte blanche over this budget. He has hired many young, underqualified central staff, overpaying them, many think to buy loyalty. Again, much of what has transpired in Dallas is found here http://trueschoolreform.org/
Any assistance to the 161,000 Dallas ISD children, their parents, and their teachers you can provide through your blog would make a contribution given your stature. We need to defeat corporate reform in Dallas. The May 9 elections will in many ways make or break that effort.
Diane, while passing this resolution is certainly a step in the right direction, AISD is not willing to suspend the local benchmarks and common assessments that are given as a part of the test prep for the STAAR exams. I live in Arlington and taught there for 20 years. I know how much class time is lost to all of this test prep. The optics of this is good, but really, nothing has changed.
TxNana, you are close to the situation in Arlington, I am not. But I would count it a good thing when a school board approves a resolution against high-stakes testing. It shows they are listening and gives hope that they will follow through. Sure is better than a school board that obeys, conforms, and goes along with legislative mandates without thinking about the consequences for kids.
I believe that this resolution might help to alleviate some of the major issues that come alongside with high stakes testing. I have read articles where students as young as seven are becoming anxious, having trouble sleeping and becoming nauseous all do to having to take high stakes tests. I believe that there are too many tests given to students and this resolution might help