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"It's a great meeting and an important meeting for what I hope we'll see in the future," State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said about Tuesday's joint meeting of the Education Oversight Committee and the State Board of Education at Buck Ridge Plantation in Neeses.

Today's meeting will mark the first time the two bodies have come together in full membership since 1999.

"It's a great meeting and an important meeting for what I hope we'll see in the future," Rex said.

Jo Anne Anderson, executive director of Education Oversight Committee, said "It's always good for two bodies responsible for education in the state to sit down together."

Also, it will be the first time in 15 years that the State Board of Education has met anywhere outside Columbia. The board will also hold a retreat at Buck Ridge on Wednesday.

State Board of Education Chairman John Tindal says the group will discuss ways to make the board more effective.

"Basically, our agenda is do some team-building activities, learning how to work with the state superintendent, and move education in South Carolina forward," Tindal said. He has previously served as Orangeburg District 1 superintendent and associate superintendent of instruction and programs for Consolidated District 4.

During the joint session Tuesday, the two bodies will hear the results of a feasibility study concerning the possible conversion of statewide testing from paper to computers.

An outside consulting firm, Data Recognition Corp. based in Minneapolis, Minn., will present its findings on that subject to both boards. This could be the beginning of a process that could change the format of South Carolina's standardized testing procedure.

Anderson cautions this change could take years to implement, if it even takes place at all.

"Students will have to have adequate experience in learning computers for this to happen," she said. This is one of several potential roadblocks to the switch.

Tindal wants to make sure the tests are secure.

"We feel that with the computer testing, the big issue is security," he said.

Cost is also an issue. Rex believes it's wonderful to consider the move toward computerized testing, but says there could be problems finding the money to implement it.

"It's a question of whether we can afford the infrastructure to support computer-assisted testing," Rex said. He added that the instruction needed to teach the testing programs is not available right now.

Following Tuesday's joint session, the Education Oversight Committee will hold a meeting to talk about the use of school ratings and receive a report on their budget.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by office phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

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