2008 Senate Bill 1 (Eliminate Commonwealth Accountability Testing System)

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Introduced by Sen. David L. Williams (R) on February 19, 2008, to eliminate 4th grade writing portfolios and to remove all other writing portfolios from annual assessments. The bill would eliminate CATS and replace it with tests that measure progress of individual students over time. The bill also eliminates open-response test questions from annual assessments. The bill requires reporting of assessment results to school districts and schools within sixty days after testing can begin.
- Referred to the Senate Education Committee on February 19, 2008.
- Reported in the Senate on March 6, 2008, favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules.
- Substitute offered in the Senate on March 6, 2008, to make the implementation date for the changes in assessment 2008-2009, except for any delays that may be necessary to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The substitute also includes on-demand writing assessments one time each within the elementary grades, the middle grades, and the high school grades. The substitute also changes the high school readiness exam to assess English, reading, mathematics, and science from grade 8 to grade 9. The substitute also requires the Kentucky Department of Education to conduct periodic studies comparing the standards in social studies and other areas as deemed appropriate by the Kentucky Board of Education in addition to those currently named.
- The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on March 7, 2008.
Passed in the Senate (22 to 15) on March 7, 2008, to change the CATS assessment program to one that measures progress of individual students, rather than schools, over time. The bill also eliminates open-response test questions from annual assessments. The bill requires reporting of assessment results to school districts and schools within sixty days after testing can begin. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the House on March 10, 2008.
- Referred to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on March 14, 2008.

Most Recent Comments

1) Re: 2008 Senate Bill 1 (Eliminate Commonwealth Accountability Testing System) [by MikeStone on February 18, 2009]

I would hate to see this bill die because some folks are opposed to the more contraversial elements. If it doesn't pass in its current form, then another bill should be introduced that only addresses the writing portfolios. Teachers and the general public are overwhelmingly in favor of ditching this piece of the CATS system.

With the need for budget cutbacks, it only makes sense to get rid of something that is so expensive to implement (just think how much is spent paying for all those portfolios to be read and scored!) and provides little value. In fact, as several individuals have posted on this site, writing portfolios may have negative value, as they dampen student enthusiasm for writing, and they interfere with instructional time better spent elsewhere (including superior writing activities.)

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2) Re: CATS test not given to 2nd graders [by jgough on January 3, 2009]

That's easy for you to say. Most parents are involved with their childrens education. However, we live in a society where, chances are both parents are working. Facts are facts teachers are passing students who should not be passed. Social advancement is creating a society of undereducated people. I don't blame the teachers, I blame government for once again sticking their noses in where it shouldn't be. However, they had no choice as teachers unionized and their jobs and financial security became more important then teaching. Now government says you have to pass the students to maintain federal and state funding levels. CATS testing is nothing more then a political feel good that has done absolutely nothing for the advancement of education in Kentucky. Yet another flawed democrat policy funded entirely by the populace.

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3) Re: 2008 Senate Bill 1 (Eliminate Commonwealth Accountability Testing System) [by Anonymous on December 12, 2008]

CATS testing evaluates schools not students. Just about every school is trying to inact things to make kids accountable for their test scores which is immoral. Why? Depending on the version of the test, the student may not be able to score a Distinguished. Also, some versions of the test have 30 percent or higher novice scores. Ask anyone in testing, they will tell you that holding kids accountable for their CATS scores is immoral because the test is not designed to do that. Ask the Associate Commissioner responsibile for testing. He will admit that the KCCT is extremely flawed but no one wants to do anything about it. The group that looked at testing again did absolutely nothing this fall. CATS testing is actually hurting our schools.

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