NEWTON COUNTY — The Newton County Board of Education met on Oct. 29 for a combined work and regular session, focusing on academic updates, assessment practices and teacher workload concerns.
Tracy Blackburn, chief of leadership and learning, presented an academic update focused on improving the district’s instructional core.
Blackburn emphasized that improving student performance requires access to high-quality instructional resources, rigorous Tier 1 instruction, balanced assessments, standards-aligned interventions and ongoing professional learning.
This year, the district heavily focused on the assessment component.
“Assessment data is only as valuable as the action it inspires,” Blackburn said.
The district’s assessment system includes universal screeners, interim assessments, summative assessments and formative assessments. The i-Ready diagnostic, administered three times a year to K–10 students, creates personalized learning pathways, while interim assessments measure standards mastered and summative assessments evaluate learning at the end of instructional units. Formative assessments are ongoing and monitor learning in real time.
This year, teachers, instructional coaches and administrators received training for administering diagnostics, interpreting results, using data to inform small group instruction and embedding assessments into daily lessons.
“This work is not about adding more tests; it is about ensuring the right assessments are given at the right time and for the right reason,” Blackburn said. “What defines a balanced assessment system is not assessment volume but their purpose and usefulness.”
Following Blackburn’s presentation, board members expressed concern about teacher workload and burnout. District 1 Representative Trey Bailey acknowledged the importance of assessments but warned they can be overwhelming.
“My fear is that we can over-assess,” Bailey said, noting that teacher burnout is real. “You made the point that it’s not about adding more tests, but it does add more tests.”
Bailey emphasized that over-assessment can negatively impact student achievement and that more than 81% of students report increased stress during testing.
“It’s not about the data point,” Bailey said. “Are those kids confident in what they’re learning or are they just learning for the test?”
District 3 Board Member Shakila Henderson-Baker underscored that the timing of assessments often exacerbates teacher stress, highlighting that teachers often stay up late grading and preparing because tests and progress reports happen simultaneously.
“Going back to teacher burnout, teachers are leaving the profession for that reason,” Henderson-Baker said. “…You can’t extend or save someone [students] if you cannot save yourself or if you are not well rested.”
Blackburn responded that teacher feedback would guide adjustments to testing timelines, and Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley III reassured the board that the district’s goal is not to unnecessarily burden teachers.
“Our intent is certainly not to make life more difficult and unnecessary for teachers,” Bradley said. “The only thing we are attempting to do is make sure we are deploying the practices that research says generates results.”
Teachers will have the opportunity to provide feedback through surveys after completing assessments, though Bailey and Henderson-Baker expressed concern that surveys themselves could add to teacher workload. Bailey suggested evaluating what could be removed from teachers’ daily responsibilities to better support them.
“What are we going to remove from the teachers’ plate everyday so that they can do that?” Bailey said. “Cause now they’re just guinea pigs for next year’s assessments.”
The discussion highlighted a shared goal among board members and district leaders: Balancing effective assessment practices with teacher capacity and student well-being, ensuring that assessment serves learning rather than becoming a source of stress.