Moratorium on test assessment gets unfavorable stamp

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A bill that would put a moratorium on controversial standardized tests in Maryland got a failing grade by a Senate committee.

On Friday, a Senate committee that handles health, environmental and educational legislation voted 7-4 to give the bill an unfavorable ruling.

Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery County, suggested the unfavorable vote because another legislator has proposed the creation of a task force to study Maryland’s test assessments.

The moratorium, she said, would be putting the cart before the horse.

This month Maryland students started taking a new test associated with the Common Core State Standards. The tests replace the Maryland School Assessment. The computer-based exams and the new line of questioning have drawn criticism from parents, educators and teachers unions.