Florida School District Becomes First in Nation to Opt Out of State Testing

The Lee County School Board in Florida is making a name for itself as one of the first school districts in the nation to take a stand and make a bold move.

In a 3-2 vote on Wednesday, the school board rejected state mandated testing in their district that caters to about 9,000 students, saying it was acting on behalf “of administrators, teachers and most importantly students, whose educational growth has not been enhanced as a result of such testing.”

Ranked as the 33rd largest school district in the nation, Lee County is the first in the country to opt out of state testing. There has been much controversy surrounding Common Core education standards, but district superintendent Nancy Graham says that the county’s latest move definitely raises a lot of concern.

“This will hurt children,” Graham said. “There’s no way around it.”

Florida has a long history of using standardized tests to hold students and schools accountable, becoming one of the first states to adopt Common Core standards. Certainly, the latest move by Lee County School Board is a bold move in which only time will tell if it was the right move. The district’s decision to opt out of state testing will, however, cause its schools to lose various opportunities for state and federal funding.

SOURCE: Reuters