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Committee advances opt‑in pilot allowing some LEAs to use national norm‑referenced tests, amid technical and federal compliance concerns
Summary
The committee recommended HB 234 on an 8–6 vote. The bill creates an opt‑in pilot allowing participating LEAs to use nationally norm‑referenced assessments in place of the RISE summative (with required crosswalks and USDE coordination). State assessment experts cautioned about technical comparability, peer‑review requirements, mapping costs and potential ESSA compliance risk.
Representative Karianne Lisonbee proposed HB 234 as an opt‑in pilot authorizing a limited number of LEAs to use a nationally norm‑referenced assessment (for example, MAP/NWEA) in place of the RISE summative, provided the state board and US Department of Education are engaged to ensure comparability and conversion to Utah’s accountability labels. Sponsors argued the approach could reduce opt‑outs, provide faster actionable data and give teachers timely information; proponents cited prior pilot work and existing national crosswalk methods.
Assessment directors and technical advisors urged caution. Brooke Anderson, a data scientist working with assessment and accountability systems, said an off‑the‑shelf test typically requires customization (anchor items, mapping and local validation) and administrative costs; she warned that if a technically comparable SGP (student growth percentile) cannot be established, participating schools might be excluded from statewide accountability metrics. Marcos Lopez (representing a national education nonprofit) and others flagged an earlier federal warning to Arizona about replacing a single statewide summative, saying the 2019 letter remains a concern and peer‑review and USDE waiver work can be lengthy.
The sponsor and allies said USDE staff were engaged and that the bill is structured to require conversions, RFP processes and LEA‑funded technical work. Committee members debated trade‑offs between timely formative data versus cross‑system comparability and federal compliance risk. After extended discussion and public comment the committee recommended HB 234 favorably on an 8–6 roll call.
What happens next: HB 234 was recommended favorably and will proceed in the process; technical validation, mapping costs and ESSA compliance issues remain points for USB E and federal review.
