Fewer, Better Tests

In November 2017, Carlos Alvarez, Principal at the City of Hialeah Educational Academy, received Florida TaxWatch’s Principal Leadership Award as the most outstanding high school principal. Yesterday, Principal Alvarez addressed the House PreK – 12 Quality Subcommittee in support of HB 773, which (among other things) moves state-mandated student assessments to the last three weeks of the school year. In addition to providing more time for instruction, HB 773 will also provide teachers and parents with more useable and timely information regarding student performance.

Moving the state-mandated tests closer to the end of the school year “will give teachers more time to teach and students more time to learn” said Principal Alvarez. Requiring each student’s annual assessment score report to be provided to the student’s current year teacher as close to the end of the school year as possible will allow the current year teacher to use the information to develop improved lesson plans for students.

TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro stood with Senator Anitere Flores and Representatives Manny Diaz, Jr., and Chris Sprowls at a February 15 press conference at which legislation addressing the need for fewer and better tests was unveiled. “Florida TaxWatch supports the concept of ‘fewer and better tests,’ as well as other measures that afford school districts greater flexibility and control over how student achievement is measured. It is critical that every student who takes the test receives an accurate and valid test score. Florida’s public school students and taxpayers deserve nothing less,” said Calabro.