Updated  June 18 with more details on the current requirements to become a school administrator.

State education leaders are considering making changes to K-12 testing, which could impact third graders and high school students. 

State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield proposed dropping the state English Language Arts test for third graders, who already have to take the state literacy exam, at the State Board of Education’s regular meeting Tuesday.

Critchfield also pushed for creating different types of exams at the high school level, which would be aligned with various postsecondary pathways — from academics to the military to apprenticeships. 

The conversation is timely, Critchfield said, since the U.S. Secretary of Education has stated a willingness to consider state requests to waive traditional federal requirements, such as assessments used to meet accountability requirements.

“Anything that looks duplicative or redundant that we’re doing in parallel lanes is something that’s on the table for discussion,” Critchfield said.

She reiterated that she wants to maintain accountability via testing — but ensure that it is meaningful and efficient: “Accountability is a responsibility that we owe to our state, to our students and to our families.”

Dropping the ELA portion of the Idaho Standards Achievement Test, or ISAT, has been well-received among teachers. Some have told Critchfield that the third-grade ISAT is more of a measure of test-taking skills rather than academic achievement. 

Read more about Idaho’s standardized tests here.

Stakeholders have been “generally supportive” of the proposed high school testing change as well, Critchfield said, particularly because it would become something “meaningful and valuable to the student” rather than a requirement that needs to be checked off. 

She framed the possible changes as an opportunity to step out of the routine and rethink how to drive academic achievement.

“We tend to do things the same way because that’s just how we’ve done it,” she said, later adding that the potential testing changes are “an opportunity for us to look inward and question ourselves … What are our big state visions or big education goals?”

Board members seemed receptive to the suggestions.

“The more our data can be focused on actually changing performance in the classroom and informing our teachers so they become better teachers (the better),” Board President Kurt Liebich said. “If the data isn’t doing that, it’s not really adding real value.”

The Idaho Department of Education will collect public feedback on the potential changes, then bring formal recommendations to the State Board at its regular August meeting. If the State Board approves those recommendations, they would then be submitted to the federal government for approval.

Proposal to reduce qualifications for school administrators has been unpopular, Critchfield says

Critchfield also gave State Board trustees an update on a proposal to reduce the required qualifications for school administrators, including principals and superintendents. 

“We are trying to create a deeper and wider pool for leaders,” Critchfield said, but added that the proposal has been getting pushback.

“In the spirit of transparency and wanting to be honest, not everyone is celebrating some of these ideas,” Critchfield said.

But some recognize there is a need for the change, and Critchfield said she is one of them.

The proposal, which would require legislative approval, closely mirrors the requirements for a charter school leader, Critchfield said.

Under the proposal, a superintendent or principal would have to:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Pass a background check
• Have five years of experience in education, government, nonprofits, private business or military

There would also be a few additional safeguards, Critchfield said. Those include:

• The candidate would have a mentor for three years.
• The mentor would provide help in specific areas, including: budget, data, performance and goals, conflict management, evaluations and board management.
• If the candidate were hired, the state would issue that person a certificate that would be subject to oversight by the Professional Standards Commission.
• The initial certificate would last three years. After three years of good evaluations, the certificate would be valid for five years. 
• A school board would only be able to issue the candidate a one-year contract. 

Critchfield said each school district could decide whether they would allow candidates to have the lower qualifications, or keep the current requirements, which are more rigorous. 

Trustee Shawn Keough said she could see how the reductions would be helpful in rural areas that struggle to find qualified candidates. 

Idaho Education News will have additional coverage of day two of the State Board meeting Wednesday.