House panel slices into MAP test fund

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some education officials fear proposed cuts in the state budget could severely damage the state's key tool for measuring the performance of public schools.

On Monday, the House Budget Committee adopted an amendment slashing the funding for the Missouri Assessment Program tests by more than 60 percent.

The tests are designed to judge students' ability in math, reading, science, social studies, health and physical education. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education already had delayed plans to begin testing for fine arts this spring.

In fiscal 2002, which ends June 30, the department received $12.8 million to conduct the MAP tests. The amendment approved in the House committee would cut that amount to $5 million for fiscal 2003.

Such a reduction would leave the department with only enough money to test for reading and math, said department spokesman Jim Morris.

Rep. Charlie Shields, sponsor of the budget-cutting amendment, said the department should scale back its testing for one year to evaluate the program and save money.

Test amnesty

Based on legislation signed by President Bush, new federal standards will require annual standardized tests for math and reading for grades three through eight, with science tests to follow in a few years, Morris said. The current state MAP tests are given only to selected grades.

"This allows for a year of test amnesty so we can implement our program with the federal requirements," said Shields, R-St. Joseph.

Department officials fear the cuts could make it harder to meet federal testing standards, especially in science. The federal government had already approved Missouri's math, reading and science tests under the MAP system, Morris said.

The budget cuts also could disrupt the state's accreditation process for school districts.

"The main issue is we are using the MAP exams really as the cornerstone of the accreditation process," Morris said. "Broadly speaking, we have used all of the MAP -- including the science and social studies -- as really the key element of the academic performance standard."

Each year, the department reviews one-fifth of the state's school districts for accreditation, based partly on the previous five years' worth of MAP tests.

For some districts, a year's gap in test scores could hurt chances of reaccreditation, Morris said.

"That information could be pivotal for whether they make the grade or not," Morris said.

Also Monday, the Budget Committee approved a cut of roughly $900,000 from the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. In fiscal 2002, the governing body of the Department of Higher Education received $1.3 million. For fiscal 2003, the committee has appropriated $500,000.

Board officials have said a large cut would make their jobs more difficult and could put more than half of its nearly two dozen employees out of work.

Education funding bills are HBs1102 and 1103 (Green).