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Outcry from parents and teachers over standardized testing in the state has caused the Florida legislature to act. As Matt Galka tells us,  the Florida House has already made the move to change the tests.

Lawmakers say they’ve heard just about everything there is to hear about Florida standardized tests.

“Comments I’ve been hearing for the last couple of years has been on the testing, over testing, age appropriate testing,” said Rep. Keith Perry (R-Gainesville).

The Florida House took the first steps to scale the much maligned testing back on Wednesday.

The House unanimously passed a bill that would eliminate an 11^th grade test as well as ease other testing requirements.  Members on both sides of the aisle said it was a good first step

“It this a perfect bill? Absolutely not but if you have one that is, point it out to me. The purpose of this is to continue improvement,” said Rep. Marlene O’Toole, the Republican Chair of the House Education Committee.

Even the state’s biggest teacher’s union, the Florida Education Association, supported the bill.

“That doesn’t get to happen very often, the House seems to be a little more reasonable and wants to approach the subject, but it doesn’t go far enough,” said FEA President Andy Ford.

The sticking point: giving schools a one year buffer from school grades as they transition into the new testing format. Representative Mia Jones (D-Jacksonville) cited the testing roll out problems when she told her colleagues they should have included the reprieve in the bill.

“I ask you to recognize the fact that we had an opportunity to do more and we failed to do that,” she said.

The Senate’s version of the bill would include a one year suspension of school grades.

The House bill that passed also allows for schools to move up their start date to as early as August 10^th.