Assemblywoman Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre) announced that legislation she co-sponsored removing the mandate that standardized test scores be used for teacher and principal evaluations has passed the Assembly (A.783).

“We’ve seen time and time again on Long Island that a one-size-fits-all approach to education does not work for students or teachers,” Griffin said. “Every student learns differently, and test scores aren’t an accurate measure of a student’s knowledge or a teacher’s ability to educate. As a community activist in the opt-out movement, I’ve been fighting alongside parents and educators for years. This legislation is a major victory for them.”

The legislation eliminates the requirement that state-created or administered assessments, including the grades 3 through 8 English Language Arts (ELA) and math tests, be used for teacher evaluations and instead allows local school districts and teachers to craft a better evaluation system. The bill also ensures grades 3 through 8 ELA and math assessments aren’t part of a student’s permanent record.

Long Island has seen some of the highest student opt-out rates in New York State in recent years. In 2017, 44.2 percent of Nassau County students declined to take the Common Core ELA exam.[1] Griffin noted that one of the major reasons she decided to run for the Assembly was to ensure parents had a strong voice in Albany so that every child’s unique educational needs are met.
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[1] newsday.com/long-island/data/opting-out-district-by-district-1.13330087