House approves reduction in standardized testing for elementary, middle school students

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House has approved and sent to the Senate a bill reducing standardized testing for elementary and middle school students.

House Bill 2836 removes standardized tests in writing in the fourth and seventh grades. It also limits testing time for many younger students.

The bill passed unanimously Tuesday, but only after a lengthy debate about Pearson, a Britain-based vendor that produces Texas' standardized tests.

Amendments sought to replace Texas' current testing regime with national exams. They also would have required that the new tests be produced by American companies, not foreign ones.

The bill's sponsor, Coppell Republican Rep. Bennett Ratliff, called the effort behind the amendments "laudable" but said his proposal wasn't the place for them.

The amendments were withdrawn after supporters said the debate itself made their point.

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