Schwarzenegger seeks continued state testing of second graders

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

Editorial: A test worth keeping
Grade 2 exams help spot problems early

Published Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B6
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/217078.html


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature are on a collision course over the state's second-grade testing program, which sunsets July 1 unless it is reauthorized. This is the only major education issue still outstanding.

It's natural to feel an aversion to testing 7-year-olds, but the second-grade test of reading and math is aimed at a real problem. Children who fall behind in the early years can fall hopelessly behind if they don't get prompt attention and support. Parents, teachers and schools need to see how kids are doing at the end of second grade as a baseline for future progress. California has tested second-graders since 1998 and the state has seen the greatest progress in the early years. This effort is working.

In 2004, then-Sen. Dede Alpert, supported legislation that would have reauthorized the second-grade testing program for five years, through 2011, along with the third grade through 11th-grade testing program. That was watered down to an extension to July of this year. Since then, legislative opposition has grown.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger included $2.4 million for second-grade testing in his budget. But both houses of the Legislature failed to include it in their budget bills. They should act to do so now.

The early years of schooling are key to a child's later success. Most reading and math difficulties can be prevented if caught early, but if you wait until third grade to test students too many children already have fallen below grade level and find it increasingly difficult to catch up. Second-grade reading ability is an important marker, one of the most important tests in California's testing system.

Back in 2004, Alpert recounted the story of a father who received report cards saying that his child was doing very well. Then second-grade test results showed that the child was performing near the bottom in math and below average in reading. The father wanted to know why the school was sending out report cards saying all was well when that clearly was not the case.

The anecdote illustrates the issues here. We cheat kids if we don't measure what they are learning.

Testing in second grade is important for parents, and it is important for third-grade teachers. These tests not only show parents and teachers how well an individual second-grader is doing, but also how well schools are doing overall in reaching students early. They are supported by the superintendent of public instruction and progressive education reform groups, such as EdTrust-West and EdVoice.

Look at it this way: The state tests students near the end of the school year, and results come out in summer. If California stops the second-grade tests, parents, teachers and schools will not know how students are doing until the beginning of fourth grade. That's awfully late in the game to help struggling children catch up.

Schwarzenegger will have to fight for the second-grade test in Big 5 negotiations (which include the governor, Assembly speaker, Senate president pro-tem and the minority party leaders of each house). Testing the ability of second-graders to read and do math is essential to help get early help for kids who are beginning to fall behind.