SOL opt-out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

I'm not sure about your school, but my child is definitely doing more advanced work during the school day and for homework than what is on the SOL's. The SOL math seems to line up perfectly with the standards and does not test above or below, however in school, my child has access to above grade standards and on-grade level extensions which go beyond what is tested. The language arts tests are very simple and are multiple choice. They are not advanced at all. Some people say the standards themselves for each grade are too advanced, but then I'm not sure why they aren't trying to reduce the standards as well as the tests. They match each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

What about the data mining from these tests? Who owns the kids' data? Pearson? For what purposes are they holding the data? Is there 3rd party access to data? In FCPS there is, because another company saves the data at various points through the SOL testing and the servers are located in various countries. Read the description. What companies? What countries? Kids' privacy is not guaranteed.

Where are Pearson's servers? I know they're a British company, so I assume there's one in the UK. While Pearson isn't great, currently there's no other company that's able and willing to provide these tests, so until someone steps up, we're stuck with them. The state at any time can require the schools to administer these tests instead of Pearson. They're already allowing kids to do internships instead of classes. If the schools are more capable, let them do the testing. Push for this instead or in addition to Opt Out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

What about the data mining from these tests? Who owns the kids' data? Pearson? For what purposes are they holding the data? Is there 3rd party access to data? In FCPS there is, because another company saves the data at various points through the SOL testing and the servers are located in various countries. Read the description. What companies? What countries? Kids' privacy is not guaranteed.

Where are Pearson's servers? I know they're a British company, so I assume there's one in the UK. While Pearson isn't great, currently there's no other company that's able and willing to provide these tests, so until someone steps up, we're stuck with them. The state at any time can require the schools to administer these tests instead of Pearson. They're already allowing kids to do internships instead of classes. If the schools are more capable, let them do the testing. Push for this instead or in addition to Opt Out.

Testing is federally mandated. ESSA kicked it back to the states, but states don't have the power to say we're not testing. Parents do. Parents have the constitutional right to Opt Out and direct their child's education. Parents have the power to make a huge impact on standardized testing and voting in legislatures that support public education and teaching not testing.

[Anonymous]

there is zero reason to put your elementary school child through up to 15+ hours of "lockdown"testing. none.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with above remarks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

What about the data mining from these tests? Who owns the kids' data? Pearson? For what purposes are they holding the data? Is there 3rd party access to data? In FCPS there is, because another company saves the data at various points through the SOL testing and the servers are located in various countries. Read the description. What companies? What countries? Kids' privacy is not guaranteed.

Where are Pearson's servers? I know they're a British company, so I assume there's one in the UK. While Pearson isn't great, currently there's no other company that's able and willing to provide these tests, so until someone steps up, we're stuck with them. The state at any time can require the schools to administer these tests instead of Pearson. They're already allowing kids to do internships instead of classes. If the schools are more capable, let them do the testing. Push for this instead or in addition to Opt Out.

Testing is federally mandated. ESSA kicked it back to the states, but states don't have the power to say we're not testing. Parents do. Parents have the constitutional right to Opt Out and direct their child's education. Parents have the power to make a huge impact on standardized testing and voting in legislatures that support public education and teaching not testing.

This comment has nothing to do with Pearson's servers and who owns the kid's data. You're just making a stand alone statement about opting out and don't need to reply to my comment. Can anyone actually answer my questions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

What about the data mining from these tests? Who owns the kids' data? Pearson? For what purposes are they holding the data? Is there 3rd party access to data? In FCPS there is, because another company saves the data at various points through the SOL testing and the servers are located in various countries. Read the description. What companies? What countries? Kids' privacy is not guaranteed.

Where are Pearson's servers? I know they're a British company, so I assume there's one in the UK. While Pearson isn't great, currently there's no other company that's able and willing to provide these tests, so until someone steps up, we're stuck with them. The state at any time can require the schools to administer these tests instead of Pearson. They're already allowing kids to do internships instead of classes. If the schools are more capable, let them do the testing. Push for this instead or in addition to Opt Out.

Testing is federally mandated. ESSA kicked it back to the states, but states don't have the power to say we're not testing. Parents do. Parents have the constitutional right to Opt Out and direct their child's education. Parents have the power to make a huge impact on standardized testing and voting in legislatures that support public education and teaching not testing.

This comment has nothing to do with Pearson's servers and who owns the kid's data. You're just making a stand alone statement about opting out and don't need to reply to my comment. Can anyone actually answer my questions?

Go ask your principal - your testing coordinator - your superintendant. They cannot tell you where your kid's data is stored, because they don't know. Ask and you will see, our children's data is not protected by Pearson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOLs are developmentally inappropriate. They include material that is two grade levels above. The passing rate of the test is set in secret. No one, not teacher, not student gets the tests and answers back, only a score. There is no accountability for Pearson testing company. The SOLs are not based on research, they are not validated. The SOLs serve no purpose, except to punish schools and teachers. Opt Out and stand for Teaching not Te$ting. Read this article on Pearson. They write the SOLs and all the Common Core state tests. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/04/21/pearsons-history-of-testing-problems-a-list/

What about the data mining from these tests? Who owns the kids' data? Pearson? For what purposes are they holding the data? Is there 3rd party access to data? In FCPS there is, because another company saves the data at various points through the SOL testing and the servers are located in various countries. Read the description. What companies? What countries? Kids' privacy is not guaranteed.

Where are Pearson's servers? I know they're a British company, so I assume there's one in the UK. While Pearson isn't great, currently there's no other company that's able and willing to provide these tests, so until someone steps up, we're stuck with them. The state at any time can require the schools to administer these tests instead of Pearson. They're already allowing kids to do internships instead of classes. If the schools are more capable, let them do the testing. Push for this instead or in addition to Opt Out.

Testing is federally mandated. ESSA kicked it back to the states, but states don't have the power to say we're not testing. Parents do. Parents have the constitutional right to Opt Out and direct their child's education. Parents have the power to make a huge impact on standardized testing and voting in legislatures that support public education and teaching not testing.

This comment has nothing to do with Pearson's servers and who owns the kid's data. You're just making a stand alone statement about opting out and don't need to reply to my comment. Can anyone actually answer my questions?

Go ask your principal - your testing coordinator - your superintendant. They cannot tell you where your kid's data is stored, because they don't know. Ask and you will see, our children's data is not protected by Pearson.

Wouldn't the question be better asked to the VADOE?

[Anonymous]

My son said 7 kids from his class were in the library with him during SOL time. Last year, there were 0 opt-outs at his school.

[Anonymous]

SOL opt out subscribers. Are you familiar with the differences between PARCC and SOL? Are you aware that the rest of the country who are anti-testing are arguing about an entirely different test? The PARCC tests are WAY harder than SOL's. They require 3rd graders and up to write MANY ESSAYS starting in 3RD GRADE ON THE COMPUTER TYPED. They test logic and reasoning, not just basic math skills and they require TYPED EXPLANATIONS for math answers as well. The SOL tests test very basic learning standards. They are also much shorter to take. If the rest of the country is able to take and many pass these PARCC tests which are incredibly harder, why should Virginia not be giving at least a basic standards test to their children? Does it make sense for the state to do remove these tests? Why in FCPS, APS, and FCCS are we expecting our children to not even take much easier tests than the rest of the country?

[Anonymous]

Standardized testing is great. It reminds everyone that they are not special snowflakes. The tests serve as a more objective measurement and feedback to the progress of a student.

In the real world, a person's worth to society is relative to his/her performance against his/her peers. Your boss doesn't give you a pat on the head and tell you "good try!" You don't get waved through just for showing up and making the minimum effort. Standard tests is a way to remind kids that while they can grow and develop as individuals, they do need to check and make sure that they are making normal expected progress on the whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Standardized testing is great. It reminds everyone that they are not special snowflakes. The tests serve as a more objective measurement and feedback to the progress of a student.

In the real world, a person's worth to society is relative to his/her performance against his/her peers. Your boss doesn't give you a pat on the head and tell you "good try!" You don't get waved through just for showing up and making the minimum effort. Standard tests is a way to remind kids that while they can grow and develop as individuals, they do need to check and make sure that they are making normal expected progress on the whole.

And in VA it's a minimal standards test. Not some SAT prep test like the PARCC is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there is zero reason to put your elementary school child through up to 15+ hours of "lockdown"testing. none.

An obvious reason. One of the main purposes of school is to prepare kids for life, and life, is full of standardized tests.

I'm all for letting them get experience with testing before the tests start really mattering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there is zero reason to put your elementary school child through up to 15+ hours of "lockdown"testing. none.

An obvious reason. One of the main purposes of school is to prepare kids for life, and life, is full of standardized tests.

I'm all for letting them get experience with testing before the tests start really mattering.

Life is not full of standardized tests for private school students. Parents pay big bucks for private education and those schools are not beholden to SOLs. The average VA student will take 100+ standardized tests from K-12. Add up all the tests and practice tests from K-12 and you will be astonished. On the other hand private schools are under their own private accreditation systems that use multiple measures to evaluate schools.

In other words the children of the elite all Opt Out, because their kids don't take these tests. John King (current Secretary of Ed) and Arne Duncan (fomer secretary of Ed), Bill Gates (founder of Common Core), Obama (race to the top), etc. all send their kids to private schools that rely largely on teacher grades to assess kids.

Begs the question, why are public school students inundated with these meaningless tests? (back to Pear$on ever earning) and the effort to privatize public education. The testing industry earns in the billions annually. They've got an army of lobbyists who have the ear of our legislatures. We need to be vocal. We need to reclaim education. We need to demand teaching not testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:there is zero reason to put your elementary school child through up to 15+ hours of "lockdown"testing. none.

An obvious reason. One of the main purposes of school is to prepare kids for life, and life, is full of standardized tests.

I'm all for letting them get experience with testing before the tests start really mattering.

Life is not full of standardized tests for private school students. Parents pay big bucks for private education and those schools are not beholden to SOLs. The average VA student will take 100+ standardized tests from K-12. Add up all the tests and practice tests from K-12 and you will be astonished. On the other hand private schools are under their own private accreditation systems that use multiple measures to evaluate schools.

In other words the children of the elite all Opt Out, because their kids don't take these tests. John King (current Secretary of Ed) and Arne Duncan (fomer secretary of Ed), Bill Gates (founder of Common Core), Obama (race to the top), etc. all send their kids to private schools that rely largely on teacher grades to assess kids.

Begs the question, why are public school students inundated with these meaningless tests? (back to Pear$on ever earning) and the effort to privatize public education. The testing industry earns in the billions annually. They've got an army of lobbyists who have the ear of our legislatures. We need to be vocal. We need to reclaim education. We need to demand teaching not testing.

Truth!