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SAI Executive Leaders Issues Statement to Governor on Student Assessment

 

November 22, 2013

Iowa Superintendents’ Group Issues Statement to Governor on Student Assessment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dan Smith, dsmith@sai-iowa.org, 515-267-1115

DES MOINES, Iowa, November 21, 2013 — Heads of Iowa school districts today delivered a position statement on student assessment to Gov. Branstad. The leaders believe the statewide assessment system should reflect a commitment to improving instruction and student learning by aligning to the Iowa Core, measuring individual student growth, providing valid and reliable data, offering timely feedback and being purpose driven.

School Administrators of Iowa’s Executive Leaders is a group composed of more than 190 of Iowa’s superintendents and chief area education agency administrators. Members met October 31 and November 1 to learn more about the current status of Iowa's student assessment system and the issues involved in accurately measuring student growth, and formulate their recommendations on the subject.

“As instructional leaders for Iowa’s school districts, we understand the potential positive impact a high-quality and comprehensive assessment system can have on improving student achievement.  The current assessment system needs to be evaluated closely by experts in order to make an informed decision regarding the direction of student assessment in Iowa,” stated SAI Executive Leaders’ chairman Kevin Crall, superintendent of Albia Community School District.

Rather than advocate for a specific assessment, the group identified several factors to guide the decision-making process for its selection:

  • The Department of Education should provide leadership and have direct authority to develop the system.
  • Local school districts should retain the right to develop processes at the local level.
  • Cost should not be a determining factor in selection of the assessment instrument.
  • A minimal loss of instructional time should result from testing.

Crall added, “We are confident that future decisions regarding the assessment process will address and meet the goals identified by the SAI Executive Leaders. All stakeholders in Iowa, especially the students, deserve a system that accurately measures student achievement so the data collected can lead all schools on the path of improving instruction.”

Download a copy of the position statement.

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About SAI Executive Leaders
The School Administrators of Iowa Executive Leaders group was formed in 2011 to represent all of Iowa’s school superintendents. SAI Executive Leaders’ mission is to provide strategic leadership for system improvements that will result in quality educational outcomes for Iowa’s youth. For more information, visit www.sai-iowa.org