As reported by Len Lazarick of the Maryland Reporter, members of the Maryland commission on school testing noted in a recent meeting that their recommendations may improve the efficiency of the testing and ease some financial and staffing issues, but they hadn’t actually reduced the amount of testing.

As describe by the Reporter,

The group did tentatively approve a number of recommendations. They include:

• Annual reports from local superintendents on the amount of testing
• Timely results for all mandated testing, particularly so teachers could use them to improve instruction. Henry Johnson, deputy superintendent of schools and a commission member, assured the panel that test data would be available by July 15, but it was unclear whether that would filter down to classroom educators.
• The commission also wants each county school system to set up its own commission to review testing.
• They also approved a number of steps to improve communications with parents about when, how and why testing would done, and what it would be used for.

For more information, see the full story from the Reporter, Testing commission struggles to reduce testing in schools.