From the Dec. 13, 1996 Daily Report Card:
-> *4   LOCAL CONTROL:  NOT, SAYS SAN CARLOS
->    Under Calif. state law, school districts can receive $5 per-
-> pupil for administering student assessments; but they must be
-> tests approved by the state (Lynch and Lembke, EDUCATION BEAT, 22
-> November 1996).  But when San Carlos school officials petitioned the
-> State Board of Education for a waiver to use a local test and still
-> receive state funding, board members turned them down.
->    According to ED BEAT, school districts can apply for
-> "special circumstances" waivers, which typically are sought by
-> districts that have high numbers of bilingual students not
-> proficient enough in English to take the approved test.  Another
-> common petition comes from districts wanting to substitute part of a
-> standardized test with a local exam.  So far this fall,
-> seventeen districts have received waivers, writes the newsletter.
-> However, San Carlos's request for a two-year exemption from
-> giving students state-approved tests was unprecedented.  San
-> Carlos Superintendent Don Shelvy explained that the district has
-> administered its own test since 1993, and students score "well
-> above" average.  Nancy Gayvert, San Carlos curriculum
-> coordinator, said the local tests are performance exams designed to
-> measure individual student improvement, rather than to compare
-> students with others.
->    But board members flinched, not wanting to send the wrong
-> message to other distircts. "The legislation is clear," said
-> board member Janet Nicholas.  "It doesn't speak to what you are
-> doing.  It's laudable, but [you have to] look at outside tests."
-> Board member Jerry Hume agreed.  "During the first round of
-> testing, we've been permissive," he said.  "Can you benchmark
-> yourself to an outside exam?  You're setting your own standards, but
-> if you could make yourself comparable to [National Assessment of
-> Educational Progress standards], it would give you a lot of
-> strength.  Comparing yourself to yourself doesn't show anything."
-> San Carlos, a wealthy area located just south of San
-> Francisco, intends to continue using its own tests and will
-> forego state funds.  "We have had tremendous success with these
-> tests," said Gayvert.  "The community is behind us on this.  We find
-> it ironic that the board talks about local control, but when it comes
-> down to it, they want everyone to conform to the letter of the law."
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