Sponsored by: Peter Nordbye, Clackamas County Approved: 11/17/2019
A RESOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON
WHEREAS, our nation’s future and well-being rely on a high-quality public education system that prepares all students for college, careers, citizenship and lifelong learning; and
WHEREAS, students earning a high school diploma realize increased opportunity for economic and social well-being; and
WHEREAS, our nation’s public-school systems have been spending growing amounts of time, money and energy on high-stakes testing, in which student performance on standardized tests is used to make major decisions affecting individual students; and
WHEREAS, the over-reliance on high-stakes standardized testing in state and federal accountability systems is undermining educational quality and equity in U.S. public schools by hampering educators’ efforts to focus on the broad range of learning experiences that promote innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and deep subject-matter knowledge that will allow students to thrive in a democracy and an increasingly global society and economy; and
WHEREAS, it is widely recognized that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of student learning; and
WHEREAS, it has been documented that comprehensive in-class educational support including providing arts, music, and career and technical education through K-12 is a far more effective means to enhance motivation and learning for all students than “high stakes” testing; and
WHEREAS, high stakes standardized testing has negative effects for students from all backgrounds, especially for students from low-income families, English language learners. children of color and those with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the culture and structure of the systems in which students learn must change in order to foster engaging school experiences that promote joy in learning, depth of thought and breadth of knowledge for students;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. We urge the Oregon Governor, Oregon Legislators, and the Oregon Department of Education to recognize the negative impact of single standardized graduation requirement testing and oppose efforts to replace c
