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HB 4077

Remove standardized testing in public and private schools

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bill Bell and 4 co-sponsors

HB 4077 eliminates mandatory standardized testing in West Virginia schools, removing primary accountability measures but risking federal compliance violations and loss of comparative achievement data.

To House Public Education
#education(k12)
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Bill Summary · HB 4077

Legislative bill overview

HB 4077 would eliminate standardized testing requirements in West Virginia's public and private schools. The bill appears to remove state-mandated assessments that currently measure student achievement and school performance across the state's K-12 system.

Why is this important

Standardized tests currently serve as the primary accountability mechanism for schools, inform school funding decisions, and provide comparable data on student achievement. Removing them would fundamentally change how the state evaluates educational quality and could affect federal reporting requirements under education law.

Potential points of contention

  • Federal compliance: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires annual assessments in reading/math for grades 3-8 and once in high school; removing all testing may violate federal law and jeopardize federal education funding
  • Accountability gap: Without standardized metrics, identifying struggling schools, achievement gaps between demographic groups, or district performance becomes significantly more difficult
  • College/workforce readiness: Colleges and employers often use standardized test scores for admissions and hiring; removing them may disadvantage West Virginia students competing nationally
  • Teacher evaluation: Many states tie standardized test results to educator evaluations; removal could weaken performance-based accountability systems
  • Equity concerns: Standardized tests, despite flaws, provide one mechanism for identifying disparities in educational outcomes across different communities

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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