HR0289LRB103 32380 LAW 61795 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Public schools are the heartbeat of our
3communities and a pillar of our democracy; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Public schools need to be funded and supported in
5order to foster equity and continue fostering joy, curiosity,
6creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills so that
7each child may reach their full potential; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Today, more time is spent on testing than on
9teaching, and the overfocus on testing has resulted in
10teaching to the test and the elimination of subjects such as
11art and music; and
 
12    WHEREAS, A combination of federal, state, and local
13testing has negatively impacted what is taught in our schools,
14narrowing the curriculum to only those subjects that are
15tested; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Standardized tests do not reliably measure
17learning, particularly for Black and low-income students and
18those with special needs, and are often used inappropriately
19to make high-stakes decisions about grade retention,
20graduation, teacher evaluations, and more; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, States are currently required by the Every
2Student Succeeds Act to administer statewide summative
3assessments annually in grades three through eight; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The More Teaching Less Testing Act has been
5introduced in Congress and, if passed, would promote ways to
6improve assessment and accountability for the actual purpose
7of increasing student learning opportunities; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The More Teaching Less Testing Act would allow
9states the flexibility to administer summative assessments and
10design assessment systems that support high quality teaching
11and learning and eliminate the current federally mandated
12testing schedule for summative assessments in math, reading
13and the languages arts, and science, replacing it with other
14options that include grade-span testing and representative
15sampling; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The More Teaching Less Testing Act would
17quadruple the Title I funding level to address the chronic
18underfunding of public schools and would finally prioritize
19public education funding in the federal budget; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The More Teaching Less Testing Act would prohibit
21states from using federally mandated statewide assessments as
22the sole or dominant factor for large-scale retention

 

 

HR0289- 3 -LRB103 32380 LAW 61795 r

1policies, high school graduation decisions, teacher
2evaluations, or school rating systems; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we urge members of the Illinois Congressional delegation and
6all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to
7vote in favor of the More Teaching Less Testing Act; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That suitable copies be delivered to the
10Illinois Congressional delegation.