The DOE released a new set of RFP’s to
testing companies to develop yet another set of “local assessments” to be given starting next year. [Apparently
the 408
assessments bid out in July did not result in any contracts.] The bids are
due April 23. The announcement says that
24 contracts could result, for God knows how many millions of dollars.
It is unclear how many local assessments will
result from all these new contracts, but probably hundreds over three years. There
are 23 testing “components” in all; with each component involving a "grade
span" and a content area, and 40 items in each test, probably to be taken on computers, which will involve yet more millions to buy.
The DOE is pitching this new set of RFP’s to provide new sets of “diagnostic” and “interim”
assessments, but the only required part of the RFP is “end of course” exams,
which is very difficult to argue is “diagnostic” since there will be varying
amounts of summer learning loss for different students. “Diagnostic”
for what? Next year’s exams?
In all, the RFP’s arouse suspicion that the
DOE’s intention is to use them as more high-stakes tests, most
probably as the “locally developed” portion of the new statewide teacher
evaluation system, though the UFT has not agreed to this. They can certainly be used for high-stakes
decision-making as regards school closures and progress reports. And there is little doubt that they will take hours more away from instruction, real learning, and important subjects like art, music etc.
The RFPs ask for ”end
of course” tests, to be taken in all grades 3-12 in literacy and math, as well as science in
grades 6-8. Mandatory “task assessments”
will be required for literacy and math in these same grades, plus preK-2nd
grade as well. We have never had
standardized tests before in grades preK to 2nd grade, as far as I
know.
“Optional” services to be bid out include
end-of-course tests in literacy and math in 2nd grade; should include social
studies and science texts as well, and the RFP docs also report that the DOE
intends to implement separate assessments in social studies, starting in middle school
and perhaps in other grades as well.
The DOE adds that “End of Course Diagnostic
assessments are machine scorable [sic] assessments that align with the PARCC
end of course assessments in content, design and structure. These assessments,
given once a year, are intended to provide students and teachers with
formative, CCLS-aligned data in advance of the PARCC assessments they are
aligned to.”
PARCC is the multi-state
consortium, including New York state, currently devising new exams to
be aligned with the Common
Core and implemented over the next few years. The makers of these PARCC tests are
developing at
least nine new tests per year per grade.
If you have time, take a look at the RFP docs, which I have posted, and let us know what else you see there. In any case, please leave your comments below if you think that millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars and education funds should be
spent on even more tests, when our classrooms are being starved of resources,
class sizes in the early grades are the largest in over a decade, and many schools are spending months on tests and test prep as it is.
RFPR0911Section3Appendices [pdf], RFPR0911 [pdf], AppendixGPricing-Required-Services RFP R0911 [xcl], AppendixGPricing-Optional-ServicesRFP R0911 [xcl]
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AppendixE2-Program-Plan-Narrative RFP R0911 [doc] | AppendixE1-Proposal RFP R0911 [doc] |
