The implementation of Common Core standards in Arizona has met opposition in terms of content. Now, it is cost of testing that is raising eyebrows and voices.
The cost of Common Core is far higher than the expected academic benefit and the news that the new national PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) test which will replace the AIMS test will cost 50 percent more according to PARCC. The test will cost $29.50 per student, while AIMS cost $18 to $20 per student, depending on the grade level.
Upon the learning of the cost, State School Superintendent John Barge and Governor Nathan Deal have announced that Georgia is withdrawing from the PARCC consortium and plans to develop its own standardized tests. Officials concluded that the PARCC assessments are too expensive and their technology requirements are too high. According to a news release from the Georgia Department of Education, the PARCC assessments are estimated to cost significantly more money than Georgia currently spends on its entire testing program, and many districts don’t have the equipment or bandwidth required to administer the assessments.
According to StateImpact, “The news should come as no surprise to anyone watching movement in the two national consortia developing new standardized tests. In Georgia, it came down to cost — PARCC’s $29.50 per student price tag is significantly more than the $10 state currently spends. Now all eyes are on Florida, the fiscal agent for PARCC. Two of the state’s top elected leaders are urging Florida education officials to leave the assessment consortium.”
StateImpact’s John O’Connor reported that “Florida [would not be] the first state to withdraw from the group. But Florida is the most significant state so far. That’s because Florida is managing the money for the new test.”
While Oklahoma will not pull out of PARCC state education officials announced plans to design their own test due to the prohibitive cost.
Common Core standards have been fully adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. The money promised by the federal government was too good for many state bureaucrats to pass up.
The Arizona Department of Education is committed to the Common Core standards, despite wide opposition. According to the Yellow Sheet, “Leila Williams, who is overseeing the PARCC implementation for ADE, said the cost actually came in lower than expected and ADE is developing its decision proposal to submit to the governor’s office. It will be up to the State Board of Education to adopt the test. “We’re still going forward, planning on implementing it. There’s not a discussion yet to abandon it,” the Sheet reported.
“Common Core is a massive Federal over reach into our K-12 educational system. This surprise in testing fees only promises to the first of many surprises from the yet unwritten program,” said Southern Arizona community leader, Vince Leach. “It reminds me of another Federal bill recently passed where we were asked to pass the bill so we could find out what is in it. Given the past history of failed education program such as Head Start and No Child Left Behind, Arizona would do well to immediately step back from this program. It would be in the best interests of the students, parents, and the taxpayers.”
Related article: