TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Outcry from parents and teachers over standardized testing in the state has caused the Florida legislature to act. The Florida House has already made the move to change the tests.
The House bill that passed Wednesday also allows for schools to move up their start date to as early as Aug. 10.
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Lawmakers said they have heard just about everything there is to hear about Florida standardized tests.
"Comments I've been hearing for the last couple of years has been on the testing, over testing, age appropriate testing," said Rep. Keith Perry.
"We continue to have problems with the computerized system and testing that we have, absolutely," said Rep. Debbie Mayfield.
The Florida House took the first steps to scale the much-maligned testing back Wednesday.
The House unanimously passed a bill that would eliminate an eleventh-grade test as well as ease other testing requirements. Members on both sides of the aisle said it was a good first step.
"Is this a perfect bill? Absolutely not, but if you have one that is, point it out to me. The purpose of this is to continue improvement," said House education chair Rep. Marlene O'Toole.
Even the state's biggest teacher's union, the Florida Education Association, supported the bill
"That doesn't get to happen very often," said FEA President Andy Ford. "The House seems to be a little more reasonable and wants to approach the subject, but it doesn't go far enough."
The sticking point is giving schools a one-year buffer from school grades as they transition into the new testing format.
Rep. Mia Jones cited the testing roll out problems when she told her colleagues they should have included the reprieve in the bill.
"I ask you to recognize the fact that we had an opportunity to do more and we failed to do that," Jones said.
The Senate's version of the bill would include a one-year suspension of school grades.