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House approves statewide adaptive testing bill after debate on costs, standards and vendor choice
Summary
The Utah House passed House Bill 15 to replace CRT testing with computer adaptive testing; sponsors said the bill covers software costs and leaves hardware to a companion measure. Lawmakers pressed sponsors on curriculum alignment, privacy and whether the bill adopts federally developed “common core” standards.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House on Jan. 30 approved House Bill 15, a measure sponsored by Representative Hughes to replace the state’s CRT tests with computer adaptive assessments and authorize software funding, after extended floor debate and a successful amendment.
Representative Hughes, the bill sponsor, told colleagues the measure is the state school board’s top priority and said pilot programs show adaptive testing better measures student competency while giving immediate results to students and teachers. "The pilot programs ... have shown we have a better ability to measure student competency and achievement," Hughes said.
Members questioned how costs would be covered and whether the bill would commit Utah to standards developed by the federally funded Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Representative Briscoe asked whether the $6,700,000 figure he’d heard covered only software and if a companion bill would be needed for hardware. "That is correct," Hughes replied, saying HB15 covers software costs and that a companion Senate bill would address hardware.
Representative Sam Pei pressed whether HB15 meant Utah would adopt the consortium’s 'common core' standards. Hughes said the bill was amended to remove language tying the tests to standards "developed by states," clarifying that the state school board — not a federal consortium — would control the standards used. "We do not use the term common core in the way that you have described ... this would be a test that would be derived and originated from our state and our state school board," Hughes said.
Representative Wright offered an amendment (Amendment No. 1) to incorporate the Utah Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act language and to require procedural safeguards in adaptive testing. The House adopted the amendment and later passed HB15 72–0. The bill will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
Supporters said adaptive testing will provide faster information to teachers and students and enable more responsive instruction. Critics and questioners focused on the fiscal impact, vendor competition and ensuring test content aligns with Utah’s curriculum. The bill sponsor said the state would run an open request-for-proposals process to avoid directing the work to a single vendor.
The next step is Senate consideration; sponsors noted hardware funding and implementation scheduling remain to be resolved.
