Utah House Rejects Bill Allowing Some Schools to Skip State RISE Test

Proposal to use national norm-referenced assessment instead fails in 32-42 vote

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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A bill that would have created a pilot program allowing some Utah schools to use a nationally norm-referenced assessment instead of the state's RISE test failed to pass the state House of Representatives. The proposal, sponsored by Republican Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, would have given school districts and charter schools the option to use the national test, which advocates argued would ease student anxiety and provide faster results. However, some lawmakers expressed concerns that the national test would not adequately measure mastery of Utah's academic standards.

Why it matters

The RISE test is a key part of Utah's public education accountability system, providing data on student achievement and growth. The failure of this bill means the state will continue to rely on the RISE test as the primary end-of-year assessment, which some view as overly focused on compliance and data gathering rather than directly benefiting students.

The details

Rep. Lisonbee's bill would have allowed less than 10% of school districts to opt into a pilot program using a national norm-referenced test in the first years, with that cap rising to 20% by 2029. Charter schools would have had a higher cap, starting at 35% before 2029 and reaching 50% later. Supporters argued the national test would reduce student anxiety and provide faster results that could be converted to match state standards. However, some lawmakers, including Democratic Rep. John Arthur, expressed concerns that the national test would not adequately measure mastery of Utah's specific academic standards.

  • The bill was presented to the House Education Committee in January 2026.
  • The House voted 32-42 to reject the proposal on February 12, 2026.

The players

Karianne Lisonbee

A Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives who sponsored the bill to create a pilot program allowing some schools to use a national norm-referenced assessment instead of the state RISE test.

Matt MacPherson

A Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives who supported Lisonbee's bill, arguing the RISE assessment has not made a substantial impact on improving education in Utah.

John Arthur

A Democratic member of the Utah House of Representatives and former teacher who opposed Lisonbee's bill, arguing that a national norm-referenced test would not adequately measure mastery of Utah's academic standards.

Karen Peterson

A Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives who often drafts the party's flagship education bills and opposed Lisonbee's proposal, arguing that national assessments serve a different purpose than the state's RISE test.

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What they’re saying

“We've been using RISE now for seven or eight years in Utah, and it has made no measurable impact as far as increasing actual competencies in education. This is more of a compliance and a data gathering tool than it is providing any benefit to the students or the schools.”

— Matt MacPherson, Utah State Representative (utahnewsdispatch.com)

“As a teacher, I look at those state standards passed down from the State School Board, and the test items that my students take are based entirely on those which I base my entire instruction upon. A national norm-referenced test, like an IQ test, ACT, SAT, these have value, but not as an end-of-year assessment to see whether or not our students have mastered the standards that we are holding them to.”

— John Arthur, Utah State Representative and Former Teacher (utahnewsdispatch.com)

“Mapping two different assessments is complicated work, and I want to make sure our parents can have the best educated decision that they can when they determine which school they want their child to go to. And the RISE assessment is one of the tools we've provided to help us know how our schools are doing and how parents have the information on comparing assessments.”

— Karen Peterson, Utah State Representative (utahnewsdispatch.com)

The takeaway

The failure of this bill to allow some Utah schools to use a national assessment instead of the state's RISE test highlights the ongoing debate over the role of standardized testing in public education. While supporters argued the national test would reduce student anxiety and provide faster results, opponents were concerned it would not adequately measure mastery of Utah's academic standards, limiting the data available to parents and policymakers.