NE1: Standardized Testing Reform Act

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

Sponsor: Jerseyrules

Jersey, you have 24 hours to advocate for this bill. Debate time will last 72 hours total.

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

I support the aim of this bill, but the means of which this legislation establishes these test reforms are very unspecific.  What will be the criteria for tests that do not require memorization?  How do we define "more complex?"  How is 'true thinking' different from regular thinking?  I know I'm nit-picking here, but the first section of this bill alone seems to be a mere summary or defense for random goals than anything that can be construed as a comprehensive plan.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way or am being too critical, but I don't see how anyone could vote for a bill that's so vague in nature.

[Jerseyrules]

I support the aim of this bill, but the means of which this legislation establishes these test reforms are very unspecific.  What will be the criteria for tests that do not require memorization?  How do we define "more complex?"  How is 'true thinking' different from regular thinking?  I know I'm nit-picking here, but the first section of this bill alone seems to be a mere summary or defense for random goals than anything that can be construed as a comprehensive plan.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way or am being too critical, but I don't see how anyone could vote for a bill that's so vague in nature.

Senator, I respect your opinion and criticism.  But honestly, I don't know how.  Unless we say that there must be exactly 47 questions, and 22 are essay, etc.  And I don't want something like that; I don't want to constrict the powers of individual states and/or school districts, or the powers of this legislature, or those of our governor.  So much of this is just a motion to the governor, but the specifics are for the governor to decide.  I'm pretty sure he can make executive orders on this sort of thing, right?

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

One alternative I'd suggest is giving the teachers more autonomy over their jobs and letting them write the tests, while still holding them accountable.  Finland is one of the countries that allow this and it currently ranks at the top in terms of student performance.

[Jerseyrules]

One alternative I'd suggest is giving the teachers more autonomy over their jobs and letting them write the tests, while still holding them accountable.  Finland is one of the countries that allow this and it currently ranks at the top in terms of student performance.

I'm basing this bill largely off the Finnish model.  Their standardized testing is similar to the way I described it (and I couldn't find any specific figures for the purposes of this bill).  Anyway, I'm also going to put forward a bill like the one you just described (phase 2 of my education overhaul MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA).

[bore]

If you ask me there are two options here, either there should be a truly standardized test, set by some sort of board, or it should be set by indivdual schools. I would not mind either (I instinctively like the board idea, but the facts, suggest that the teacher model would work just as well if not better) but I think it's clear the bill needs one. As such to try and force your hand I'm proposing two amendments:

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

4. All tests shall be set by individual schools within these parameters

And:

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

4.All testing shall be set by an examinations board, comprising of ten qualified teachers,  within these parameters.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Jersey? Which of the amendments, if either, is friendly?

[Simfan34]

I am opposed to the bill in its current form, as it is, as others have mentioned, unspecific to the extreme.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I'm just going to assume both amendments are hostile. I'm not exactly sure what to do, and I don't think more debate time is necessary, so I'll bring this to a vote. Representatives will vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain on the final text.

Standardized Testing Reform Act

1. This act would require that all standardized tests switch to a more in-depth model, which requires them to truly think about each question, requiring more than half of the questions to be non-multiple choice, so that the answers reflect more knowledge than mere memorization.

2. The multiple choice questions will be more complex and fewer so that each answer represents a careful thought process and each question represents evaluation on learning, rather than learning for the evaluation.

3. There will also be more essay and short response questions so that students learn that being able to explain something is the best way to evaluate their knowledge on subject matter.

Nay.

[Goldwater]

NAY

[Simfan34]

Nay

[bore]

Nay

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Oh, voting expired a while ago. The bill fails, 0-4.