February 5, 2000

Basic Skills Writing Test remedy now in the House

Minnesota's Basic Skills Writing Test given this past January, asked students the following essay question:

"Your teacher has asked you to write about one thing you would like to change about yourself.  Name one thing about yourself and give specific reasons why you would like to change it.  Give enough details so your teacher will understand your ideas."

This is an invasion of the privacy of student's personal beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews. Various remedies are sought.

The House Education Committee decided as a compromise to score this year's test and then return it to the students.  That way anyone upset with it could retake the test along with those who failed it, and those not upset would not have to retake the test.

Alas, some more basic issues were not dealt with: data privacy and parental rights. 

The vote was 19 to 10 to pass the bill on to the full House. 

Rep. Tony Kielkucki has amendments he plans to introduce on the floor to require the DCFL to notify the students about how the test is graded, where it goes, and that it is used for remediation  as well as one to prohibit the DCFL asking a question about values, attitudes, or conscientiously held beliefs.

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