ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 204
BY REPRESENTATIVE JEFFERSON
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to study the
advantages, disadvantages, quality, and effectiveness of assessments administered
to public school students as part of the state's testing program and to report its
findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate
Committee on Education at least sixty days prior to the convening of the 2016
Regular Session of the Legislature.
WHEREAS, the Constitution of Louisiana provides that it is the goal of the public
educational system "to provide learning environments and experiences, at all stages of
human development, that are humane, just, and designed to promote excellence in order that
every individual may be afforded an equal opportunity to develop to his full potential"; and
WHEREAS, the state constitution requires the legislature to provide for the education
of the people of the state and to establish and maintain a public educational system; and
WHEREAS, the legislature is committed to ensuring that all Louisiana public school
children receive a quality education; and
WHEREAS, R.S. 17:24.4 states that the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program
is "a process of measuring student performance in relation to grade appropriate skills, state
content standards, and national educational indices"; and
WHEREAS, assessments are an essential part of the public education system and
requiring students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do is crucial to the learning
process, as it helps to determine the extent to which the goals and objectives of the public
education system are being achieved; and
WHEREAS, the goal of testing students should be to ensure that the state's public
schools are providing all students with the education they need to lead meaningful,
productive lives; and
Page 1 of 4 HCR NO. 204 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, proponents of standardized testing believe that the benefits of such
testing include:
(1) Holding teachers and schools accountable.
(2) Giving parents a good idea of how their children are performing as compared to
students throughout the state and the nation.
(3) Narrowing achievement gaps among low-income and minority youth and
ensuring equity in schools and fair treatment for such students, students with disabilities, and
English language learners.
(4) Providing teachers with a set of established standards and on instructional
framework which provide them with guidance for what and when topics need to be taught.
(5) Removing the potential for bias and subjectivity in scoring by teachers since
standardized tests are objective in nature and are scored by computers or by people who do
not know the student.
(6) Providing consistent and objective data about disparities in educational outcomes
among students; and
WHEREAS, opponents on the other hand argue that standardized testing has negative
effects that include:
(1) Narrowing the curriculum in schools by eliminating subjects like music, art,
foreign languages, and sometimes social studies because these are not included in tests.
(2) Limiting the type of writing students do with little or no emphasis on the
processes of composing and the purposes of writing.
(3) Giving students negative perceptions about themselves and their abilities.
(4) Limiting learning among poor and minority students, whose standardized test
scores are often lower than those of other students, which can lead to a failure to graduate.
(5) Loss of instructional time for teachers each year due to mandatory curricula that
have been developed to prepare students for standardized tests.
(6) Reducing learning to the memorization of facts easily recalled for multiple-
choice testing at the expense of in-depth learning and critical thinking.
(7) Placing an increased amount of stress on students and teachers, which can lead
to negative health consequences as well as a negative attitude toward school and learning in
general; and
Page 2 of 4 HCR NO. 204 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, questions and concerns have been raised regarding the length of time
students spend taking state and locally administered assessments, the alignment of
assessments to state academic content standards, the usefulness of assessment results, and
the extent to which parents are informed about tests administered to their children; and
WHEREAS, a poll conducted by the Center for American Progress found that forty-
nine percent of parents think there is too much standardized testing in schools; however,
another poll conducted by the Associated Press found that three out of four parents think that
it is important to regularly assess whether children are on track to meet state academic goals;
and
WHEREAS, student assessments should be aligned to the state's expectations for
teaching and learning and should thoroughly measure students' academic achievement and
progress while maximizing time for instruction throughout the school year; and
WHEREAS, in order to fulfill the constitutional responsibilities and to ensure that
Louisiana public school students receive a quality education and are given equal
opportunities to develop to their full potential, it is imperative that the state's testing program
receive a thorough review including all advantages, disadvantages, and effects of
assessments on students and on student learning.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to study the
advantages, disadvantages, quality, and effectiveness of assessments administered to public
school students as part of the state's testing program and to report its findings and
recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
Education at least sixty days prior to the convening of the 2016 Regular Session of the
Legislature.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting such study, the board shall give
particular consideration to all of the following:
(1) The number of assessments administered by grade each year.
(2) The frequency in which the assessments are administered by grade each year.
(3) The varying types of assessments administered.
(4) If and to what extent students are over-tested each year.
(5) The role of assessments in improving teaching and learning.
Page 3 of 4 HCR NO. 204 ENROLLED
(6) The alignment of the state's testing program with expectations for teaching and
learning.
(7) The effects of standardized testing on student learning.
(8) The effects of standardized testing on different populations of students,
particularly poor and minority students.
(9) How best to eliminate any duplication, maximize instructional time, increase the
usefulness of assessment results, and notify parents about required assessments.
(10) All steps taken by the state Department of Education and public school systems
to streamline and increase the usefulness of student assessments and the results of such steps.
(11) Any recommendations for statutory revisions that may be necessary to
adequately measure student achievement and maximize instructional time.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting such study, the board shall include
the participation of public high school students, parents of public school students from the
elementary and high school levels, and public school teachers, administrators, and guidance
counselors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state
superintendent of education.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 4 of 4