The Mississippi board of education is still deciding whether to eliminate the U.S. History end-of-course exam. But, as MPB's Ashley Norwood reports, an education commission is recommending an option should the test go away.
The Mississippi Department of Education and the Accountability Task Force met this week to discuss what affects removing the history test would have on the state's accountability system. The commission voted on a plan to reallocate accountability points previously associated with the History test to the Science test.
Tim Martin is a task force member and Superintendent of Clinton Schools.
"If you move it- those fifty points at the high school level to Science then it makes the Science at the high school comparable with 5th and 8th grade. It also has the least impact on high school ratings and also on district ratings," said Martin.
Martin is co-chair of the Testing Task Force, another education commission under the department of education's umbrella. They surveyed 10,000 teachers from across the state earlier this year. An overwhelming majority want to get rid of the U.S. History exam saying it's too stressful and a waste of important instruction time.
Eddie Peasant is Superintendent of Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. He says this plan could help.
It would reduce some of those stresses but at the same time we should continue to hold those teachers acountable to teaching the skills that are necessary through every course, U.S. History included, that will allow students to have what they need to be successful beyond high school," said Peasant.
The State Board of Education will decide whether to eliminate the U.S. History end-of-course exam and consider the task force's recommendation at a later date.
