Educators applaud signing of HB 1048

For immediate release, February 6, 2007
For further information, contact Deborah Fallin at 303-837-1500

“The signing of House Bill 1048 takes us one giant step closer to useful testing data that will help teachers, students and parents,” declared Beverly Ingle, president of the Colorado Education Association. “We are so pleased that this is the first education bill to be signed by Governor Ritter.”

HB 1048 directs the Governor and the Colorado Department of Education to convene a technical advisory panel to speed development and implementation of a longitudinal growth model to measure student achievement. Longitudinal growth allows teachers and parents to see how students are progressing over time. Currently, students’ scores are compared to the previous year’s group at the same grade level. As a result, test data is relatively meaningless.

“When this system is in place, students will be able to demonstrate achievement and progress by making a year’s growth or more over the course of a school year. Even if a student has not reached proficiency, the growth will be a motivating factor, especially for those students who are behind in grade level,” said Ingle, a sixth grade teacher on leave from her teaching position.

“The importance of motivating students and rewarding their achievement cannot be overestimated. Currently, students are discouraged and frustrated by being labeled as unsatisfactory or partially proficient by the CSAP ratings; when, in fact, they have made significant progress. This bill is good for students and teachers, and will also result in improved accountability for our public schools,” Ingle concluded.