A couple of school districts understand assessments of kindergartners encourages better instruction and guidance for teachers and parents, but they are also defending their waiver request from state mandated evaluations.

During a Senate Education Committee hearing Wednesday in Chicago, Ray Lechner from Wilmette School District 39 said the one-size-fits-all mandated assessment doesn't work.

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Lechner says the Illinois State Board of Education is in the process of changing the state’s assessment, which makes the issue even more frustrating for school districts.

A spokesperson from ISBE was not immediately available for comment.
Meanwhile, Glencoe’s school district requested a waiver from the assessment for up to year 2020. A resolution denying waiver requests could be brought out next week when the General Assembly meets in Springfield.