Testing Task Force to possibly rethink required number of state tests

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A state lawmaker from Northeast Mississippi says a task force formed to look at the effectiveness of standardized tests for high school students is hard at work.

Representative Randy Boyd, (R) District 19, is part of the Mississippi Student Testing Task Force. That group was formed after a “Mississippi First” report looked at student testing at state and local school district levels.

Boyd says one major concern of the group is the number of tests that high school students take each school year in the state.

He says many have questioned whether the schools are testing students too often and how much instruction time is sacrificed.

“The state tells us they don’t require that many tests, the federal government requires three tests, so we’re wanting to know why we’re having so many tests on the local level, and we are going to have a list compiled of each county and each district showing where these tests are originating and what they’re using them for and that type of thing,” Rep. Boyd said.

Representative Boyd says that list should be ready before next year’s legislative session begins.