Dive Brief:
- Officials from the Louisiana Department of Education say survey results released Sunday show that students like the new online Common Core exam.
- To be exact, 78% surveyed say it's preferable to the paper test and 70% say the exam was easier than or as difficult as their school work.
- The stats come as the state's legislature prepares to tackle the contentious topic of the Common Core-aligned, online Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College Careers (PARCC) exam, which critics have argued is too difficult and delivered on a medium that students aren't ready for.
Dive Insight:
PARCC aside, the Common Core standards have been a contentious topic in Louisiana. Gov. Bobby Jindal, who initially supported their adoption, has backed a failed effort to repeal them as well as the associated PARCC exam. And the attached accountability measures determining school letter grads, teacher evaluations, and student promotion may potentially be delayed.
Will these survey results sway lawmakers on whether they should purchase the PARCC exam, which is currently being used on a trial basis? It seems the majority of students don't have an issue with the exam, but Common Core aversion could still prove too strong in the end for the exam to get the "go-ahead."
