News Brief

11/15/12

Students Face Tougher Assessments

The Advocate (11/15/12) Sentell, Will

In Louisiana, tougher questions for English, math, science, and social studies on annual assessments may not count toward this year's results, but they will count for nearly 10 percent of the results in the 2013-14 school year and all answers will count in the 2014-15 school year. State Superintendent of Education John White said the tests are part of the state's move toward a more rigorous curriculum aimed at improving student achievement. He noted the questions will be open-ended in math and English, with the English test requiring students to read a text before responding to questions using passages from the text. Students will be required to write short essays that analyze themes, character development and other issues and include text from the passage to back up their conclusions. Some math questions require students to explain how they arrived at their answers, respond to arguments from others and apply math to daily life. Science and social studies exams include both multiple choice and open-ended questions.

This news brief was summarized for Chiefline, CCSSO's weekly newsletter. Click here to receive Chiefline in your inbox weekly. Newsbrief Copyright 2012 INFORMATION, INC.