HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 116

(By Delegates Pasdon, Duke, Ambler, Campbell, Cooper, Ellington, Espinosa, Evans, Hamrick, Hornbuckle, Kelly, Kurcaba, Moye, Perdue, Perry, Pushkin, Reynolds, Rodighiero, Rohrbach, Romine, Rowan, Statler, Trecost, Upson and Wagner)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to conduct a study on appropriate limits on the number, time and uses of state summative assessments.

            Whereas, State summative assessments have been used for many years for the important purposes of accountability and determining areas of needed instructional improvement, but an over use and emphasis on these assessments is a growing concern of teachers, parents and students as evidenced by frequent reports that the administration consumes too much instructional time, the data is not provided to schools and teachers quickly enough to allow planning for instructional improvement, many students do not take them seriously or are frustrated by them, and parental frustration is leading to a growing movement of opting-out of the assessments entirely; and

            Whereas, The value of the state summative assessment for improving instruction is significantly undermined if an over use and emphasis results in any of the aforementioned problems and the assessment data that do not accurately reflect student learning; and

            Whereas, Appropriate limits on the number, time and uses of state summative assessments are important to ensure that the resources in time, effort and dollars consumed by the assessment do not exceed their worth for improving instruction; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to conduct a study on appropriate limits on the number, time and uses of state summative assessments; and be it

            Further Resolved, That the said Joint Committee on Government and Finance is requested to report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2016, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and be it

            Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and draft necessary legislation are requested to be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.