Ga. Republicans, D.C. Democrats Reevaluating School Testing

“Our kids should only take tests that are worth taking, tests that are high-quality, aimed at good instruction and make sure everybody’s on track,” the president said.

So, does that mean Georgia Republicans and D.C. Democrats may have found some common ground?

“Well, on the surface, yes it does,” Woods said. “I guess the devil’s in the details.”

Woods says he’s encouraged by the Education Department’s guidelines, which focus on high-quality tests and spending less time on test preparation.

“I’d prefer more of a diagnostic approach, which would be offered in smaller increments, in smaller tests during the course of the year,” he said.

The plan also encourages school districts to relax the rules around teacher evaluations, which in many states are now tied to students’ test scores. Woods said that has always concerned him. 

Craig Harper, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, says test scores don’t necessarily reflect a teacher’s effort with his or her students.

“It doesn’t take into account all the other factors that go into a student’s achievement,” he said. “It’s much broader than one teacher, one classroom. To use a single test to tie to a teacher’s performance is misguided.”

Before opting in to the federal plan, Superintendent Woods says his department will fully review it.