Hofmeister applauds ‘momentous’ test reduction bill headed to governor

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister today made the following remarks on House Bill 3218, which repeals the end-of-instruction tests required for high school graduation and is en route to the governor.

“This testing reform bill will repeal our current end-of-instruction tests and replace them with high-value assessment tools for high school students. In addition, it limits standardized testing in grades 3 through 12 to only those federally required, plus U.S. History in high school.

“This is a momentous step toward a new focus on rich instruction and personalized learning for all students. It ensures input from stakeholders over the next year regarding new plans we will propose for state tests, graduation requirements and school accountability.

“The EOIs were a noble and ambitious idea, but after eight years of shackling them to graduation requirements, we have failed to move the needle in terms of college remediation or academic achievement.

“There is a better way. This legislation helps enable a smarter and more effective approach. In doing so, we can build stronger pathways to college and high-skill/high-demand careers, and we can build a meaningful A-F accountability system that is strengthened, credible and more transparent. Oklahoma public schools are facing serious challenges on a number of fronts, but I am optimistic that great things are ahead of us. House Bill 3218 helps pave the way for promising things on the horizon. And in the midst of a budgetary crisis impacting the entire state, there is no better time to dispense with these tests of dubious value.”

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