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Board discusses assessment choices, ACT role and potential testing costs for accountability
Summary
Board members and staff discussed whether to continue using the ACT as the statewide accountability exam, the costs of testing and mixed superintendent survey results; no policy change was decided in the meeting.
Board members raised the question of which exam should be used for state accountability and reported mixed feedback from superintendents about continued use of the ACT for accountability.
Several board members said superintendent surveys produced split results — roughly half the responding superintendents favored keeping the ACT and half favored moving away from it for accountability. State staff said response rates to surveys were modest and that many superintendents did not respond.
Eric Mackie explained cost implications: if the state moved to a separate state accountability test, the department would need additional funding to continue offering the ACT to all students as a college-access assessment. Mackie told the board the department has repeatedly requested testing money from the legislature but had not received additional funding; any move away from the ACT for accountability could reduce the department’s ability to give the ACT free to every high-school student without more legislative appropriation.
Board members agreed the department should continue conversations and briefings; staff offered to return with a briefing on Montgomery County’s experience and to work through logistics, cost estimates and trade-offs before any policy change.
Why it matters: The assessment used for accountability affects school ratings and has fiscal implications for state testing budgets and for students who currently receive ACT testing as part of high-school offerings.
What’s next: Staff will continue stakeholder outreach and return to the board with more detailed analysis of survey responses, cost estimates and implementation scenarios.
