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Committee corrects grade range and advances substitute to clarify statewide testing provisions
Summary
The Senate Education Standing Committee approved an amendment to Senate Bill 39 to correct a drafting error related to which grades receive a writing assessment and advanced the bill with a favorable recommendation; sponsors also discussed requests for RISE-like assessments through grade 10 to aid local formative practice.
The Senate Education Standing Committee approved a substitute to Senate Bill 39 to correct a drafting error about grade levels for a statewide writing assessment and sent the bill out with a favorable recommendation.
Sponsor Sen. Johnson explained a line in the draft mistakenly stated the writing assessment would cover grades 5 through 10; the amendment corrects that to the intended grades (grade 5 and grade 8). Committee members asked for clarification about the grade configuration and the sponsor moved the amendment.
District officials from Wasatch County — Todd Johnson, director of curriculum, and Brent Zabel, director of assessment — described successful local use of RISE assessments and asked for continuity through high school. They told the committee that RISE assessments are closely aligned to Utah standards and that districts would find value in an assessment approach through grade 10 that supports local formative practices. The sponsor said the bill provides flexibility and is intended to build continuity without prescribing a specific testing vendor.
A motion to advance the amendment and pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation was made and approved unanimously.
