SOL assessments; Board of Education to require only math and English for third graders. (SB185)

Introduced By

Sen. John Miller (D-Newport News)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Third grade SOLs; math and English only.  Requires the Board of Education to require only math and English Standards of Learning for third graders. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12 12101661D
01/10/2012Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/13/2012Assigned Education sub: Public Education
01/19/2012Reported from Education and Health with amendment (11-Y 4-N) (see vote tally)
01/20/2012Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/23/2012Read second time
01/23/2012Reading of amendment waived
01/23/2012Committee amendment agreed to
01/23/2012Engrossed by Senate as amended SB185E
01/23/2012Printed as engrossed 12101661D-E
01/24/2012Read third time and passed Senate (33-Y 7-N) (see vote tally)
02/13/2012Placed on Calendar
02/13/2012Read first time
02/13/2012Referred to Committee on Rules
02/20/2012Impact statement from DPB (SB185E)
02/21/2012Tabled in Rules

Comments

Richard Byles, PhD writes:

We’ll never have a measurable longitudinal trend if we don’t start early and, after all, it is important that the scientific process be instilled early for development of critical thinking skills. Why on Earth would you drop the test? It doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t cost much extra. And kids have fun learning about science.

I say keep the history and science curriculum alive in third grade and that includes underscoring the importance of the topic by teachers knowing their students will be tested on the subjects.

Carol Lindstrom writes:

It looks to me that Science is not being eliminated, rather it will simply not be focused on for testing. A great deal of the science that I had in elementary, middle, high school, and college was centered around my ability to read and understand. Making sure that there is a strong foundation upon which to build just makes common sense.

Darryl Kerkeslager writes:

Instead of asking what a third grader will need "eventually", thankfully, somebody is finally asking, what does a thrird grader need in fourth grade. The answer clearly is not knowledge of science and history, but skills in math and reading.