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Conn. Teachers Union Wants State To Replace SBAC Test

Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell.
Connecticut Department of Education
Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell.
Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell.
Credit Connecticut Department of Education
Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell.

Connecticut's largest teachers union wants state lawmakers and the governor to replace a controversial standardized test administered to students in grades three through eight.

The Connecticut Education Association said the students are suffering under the current system. On Thursday the union asked the state to develop its own test or find a replacement for the Smarter Balanced, or SBAC, test. The call comes as the general assembly prepares to reconvene in February.

Connecticut is among 42 states and the District of Colombia that have adopted the Common Core Teaching Standards. The SBAC test measures those standards.

Teachers say the test taking and preparations for them takes time away from instruction. They say it puts unfair pressure on special education students and students whose first language is not English, and, ultimately, discourages children.

“We will be reviewing CEA’s proposal — discussion is important, as is collaboration. We all want the same thing: for our kids to succeed and reach their potential. Just as classroom tests are important tools to help inform educators’ practice in the classroom, statewide assessments are essential to ensuring that we are delivering on our promise to all our children. We appreciate the work of all those on the front lines each and every day — our teachers — and will review the proposal," said Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell in a statement.

Copyright 2016 WSHU

A native of New York City, Ann Lopez, has spent more than 20-years working in journalism. Her career has brought her to Ms. Magazine and Newsday. She also worked at WGBH in Boston as a producer and director for The World, an international radio news magazine show. Ann was the founding producer for WSHU's mid-day talk show, The Full Story. As a Senior Producer, Ann works with the hosts of Morning Edition and All Things Considered to produce interviews that focus on local topics and issues that our listners care about.

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