Student Testing Bill Headed to Governor

Bill makes testing relevant, scores comparable to students in other states

Oklahoma City (May 25, 2016) – The tests Oklahoma students take will give a more accurate picture of where our students are performing in relation to each other, and with those around the country under a bill now headed to the governor’s desk. House Bill 3218, which is the culmination of two years of work, will ensure Oklahoma's tests are able to be used to remediate early, give a predictive measure of academic success, gauge college and career readiness and help inform instruction in the classroom.

“For too long, there has been an “honesty gap” between how students score on state tests and how they do on national tests, confusing parents about how their child is really doing in school” said State Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Jennifer Lepard. “It’s time for Oklahoma’s tests to honestly reflect student abilities and allow for better comparisons to their peers in other states.”

Last year, a report showed Oklahoma test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were up to 30 points lower than state test results in the same areas. This gap in results means Oklahoma parents are getting a false sense of how their children are performing in school. Click here to read that report.

The bill also allows students to take a college or career readiness exam like the ACT or SAT free of charge, providing funding is available. It continues a popular program initiated this year where all high school juniors were able to take the ACT at no cost to them. This will open doors of opportunity for many students who could not take the test in the past because of the cost involved. It will also give us the opportunity to see how our students compare to others around the country taking the ACT. 

The State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Educated Workforce Initiative (OEWI) were a part of a coalition of stakeholders working on testing legislation over the last two years. The bill will also require a comprehensive study be conducted to evaluate the assessments put in place, our state's graduation requirements and accountability system to ensure it is all working together to help our students move through the education system and into the workforce with the skills they need to be successful, no matter their chosen career path. 

"This legislation is an important first step, but there is so much work ahead,” said OWEI Executive Director Jennifer Monies. “We need to make sure the tests we put in place are meaningful to parents, teachers and students, and also help identify areas of need so we can improve our academic achievement statewide. The State Chamber and OEWI stand ready to work on this next phase of implementation to ensure the business community has a seat at the table."

We would like to thank lawmakers for coming together in support of this important bill and encourage Governor Fallin to sign it.