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Senators defer substitute bill on student assessments as department works with authors on test reductions
Summary
Senate Bill 105 substitute, proposing reductions to the LEAP testing schedule and study of alternative norm-referenced assessments, was deferred for one week after the Department of Education reported it is already reducing testing and asked for technical review by BESE and department staff.
Senate Bill 105, in substitute form, was deferred by the Senate Education Committee after the Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) asked for more time to review technical language.
Senator Abraham, the author, described the substitute as a plan to reduce the time students spend on standards-based LEAP assessments and to direct the state education superintendent to study norm-referenced tests and report to the education committees in February 2026 on whether alternative assessments would be acceptable for federal reporting. He said the bill was crafted after conversations about test load and the NAEP, and that the substitute would reduce testing hours to align more closely with federal requirements.
Kate Brumley of the Department of Education said the department supports reducing student testing and already implemented a roughly 25% reduction in English and math assessments this year; she said the department previewed plans to reduce social-studies testing and is working with BESE and psychometricians on timing and technical requirements. BESE members on the committee urged additional time to resolve procurement and federal-approval questions before any statutory changes. The committee deferred the substitute bill for one week to allow that technical work and follow-up conversations with BESE and the department.
