Chris Steinhauser Writes Op-Ed in Favor of Assembly Bill 1951

Chris Steinhauser, Superintendent of Schools for the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), wrote an op-ed piece for EdSource about Assembly Bill 1951. The bill would allow school districts in California to administer an alternative assessment (such as the SAT or ACT) during the school day for free in place of the state’s Smarter Balanced test for 11^th graders. States such as Connecticut, Delaware, and Michigan already administer the SAT as part of their state-adopted assessment program. LBUSD has been offering the SAT for free and has seen significant increases in the number of students meeting minimum requirements for admission to California State University. Steinhauser argues that with two-thirds of the families in LBUSD unable to afford school meals, offering a free SAT for students opens up opportunities for students. While LBUSD 11^th graders currently take both the SAT and the Smarter Balanced Assessment, they also face both final and Advanced Placement exams. According to Steinhauser, this intense assessment schedule means many students experience test fatigue, which can impact students’ social-emotional health. If Assembly Bill 1951 passes, students taking the SAT or ACT would not need to also take the Smarter Balanced exam.