BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE -- As the Kentucky Board of Education builds the framework for the state's new testing system, it may reintroduce math portfolios -- a part of the accountability system thrown out two years ago after bitter teacher complaints.
The board is already facing some obstacles as it rewrites the state's assessment test, used to hold schools accountable for student performance.
Throwing the math portfolios back into the mix could prove a difficult pill for some educators to swallow, Craig True, a board member from Fort Thomas, said Tuesday at the board's monthly meeting. "The vast majority of teachers think they're bad," Mr. True said. "We need to think of ways to approach that (attitude)." The board is under orders from the General Assembly to replace the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System (KIRIS) test, marred by credibility problems.
Signed into law last week was a requirement that the board receive advice from various experts before it develops the new exam, to be called the Commonwealth Assessment and Testing System.
Selecting experts could add to a time crunch in creating the exam. Education Commissioner Bill Cody said requests for information have gone out to three major testing companies. He hopes requests for bids could be issued this summer.
Brian Gong, associate commissioner for curriculum, assessment and accountability, told a board committee that members will still be pressed for time simply because there is so much work to do.
Adding to the deadline, the terms of seven board members expire April 15.
While some board members said they had some concerns about bringing back the math portfolio, a state-created advisory committee that included 48 classroom teachers says the portfolios should again be used to help assess students' math skills.
"Teachers need consistency. They need something to stay in place," said Linda Hall, a teacher at West Whitesburg Elementary School.
The board's KIRIS Accountability Oversight Committee asked for a detailed implementation plan before approving the return to math portfolios.
Under KIRIS, math portfolios of students' best work were designed to demonstrate the basic skills needed to solve real-life math problems.
Under the proposed new math portfolios, students would be encouraged to use less narrative and more charts, graphs and tables. Ivan Zabilka, a teacher at Bryan Station Traditional Middle School in Lexington, said the portfolios are "a key piece in producing the skills our students need."
But because of the timing with the new testing system, Sue Rigney, a portfolio specialist for the Department of Education, said she thinks use of math portfolios should be voluntary, at least initially. Previously, some critics were concerned that teachers were focusing too much on the students preparing math portfolios and not enough time on instruction.
"Some teachers don't like them because they really challenge teachers," Ms. Rigney said in an interview. She said she thinks teachers are willing to use portfolios outside of an accountability system.
