Cera says House-passed standardized testing changes will benefit students, teachers

State Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today applauded the passage of House Bill 74, which reduces the amount of time elementary and secondary students will have to spend on standardized testing. The Belmont County legislator co-sponsored and voted in favor of the bill, which passed the House with a bi-partisan vote of 92-1.

“Instead of testing just to be testing, we need to focus on helping our children earn the skills they need to succeed and compete for jobs of the future,” said Rep. Cera. “I believe this bill gets us closer to that, and it ensures students and teachers are not sacrificing valuable time in the class room.”

House Bill 74 limits elementary assessments to three hours each, while high school end-of-course exams are limited to three hours per year. In addition, the legislation prohibits the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment from exceeding the length of one hour.

The legislation also eases the financial burden placed on families by standardized testing by prohibiting school districts from charging students for the administration of most exams.

The legislation now moves on to the Senate for further consideration.