File photo
Republican leaders in the state Assembly say they plan to take up legislation by the middle of next month that will keep the results of a controversial state exam from being used against teachers and schools.
Efforts are already underway to replace the Badger Exam with a new test by next year, although many schools are still having students take it this spring. State Representative Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) is the sponsor of a bill that would keep the results from being used in report cards and teacher effectiveness evaluations.
The Sturgeon Bay Republican said at a Capitol news conference Thursday that the results would still be posted online, which would allow schools and parents to review them. Kitchens said he hopes schools can still get some value out of this spring’s exams “as a good practice run” for using an online-based exam.
The bill is similar to one the state Senate already approved. Republican leaders say they hope to pass it out of committee and bring it to the floor by mid-May.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) also said they are exploring potential legal action against the company that designed the test, since they question whether it will be able to deliver on everything it was contracted to provide.