DCPS opt out of PARCC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year's 5th grade parents should be more pissed than anyone. Each year that PARCC has been in place this cohort has been forced to take an additional section, which does not even count towards their scores. This is in additional to 4th grade NAEP testing last year.

OSSE is administering to this control group to allow the vendor evaluate the test questions for consistency and effectiveness in evaluating core competencies. PARCC is a huge time suck as is, but this additional layer for 5th grade is really irritating. It would bother me less if they could ensure enough machines at each and every school in order to permit a shorter testing window rather than one that spreads out over weeks. I'm thankful that our ES only "preps" in briefly reviewing the online application functionality so the kids don't get hung up on the site usability.

Very few students take NAEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, every DCPS principal doesn't give parents who decide to opt out a hard time. Ours, at a JKLM, lets the kids who are being opted out sit in the library during testing blocks, supervised by the librarian. The opt out kids aren't chased down later for make-up tests.

If you put the opt-out test in writing to the principal and lead testing admin well in advance, you may be surprised to find that your head of school will work with you (even if s/he disagrees with you), no questions asked. It's a bit late this year, but if you really want to opt out, just do it.

Good one. As if a principal wants to argue with a high SES snowflake parent from JKLM, as the principal has a choice once the parent shows up. "No questions asked". Yeah, tie me to the tree and tell me I'm free to go and that you are not holding me back.
OP, my low SES kid makes JKLM look good thanks to his high Parcc scores. He can take the test for your kid too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, every DCPS principal doesn't give parents who decide to opt out a hard time. Ours, at a JKLM, lets the kids who are being opted out sit in the library during testing blocks, supervised by the librarian. The opt out kids aren't chased down later for make-up tests.

If you put the opt-out test in writing to the principal and lead testing admin well in advance, you may be surprised to find that your head of school will work with you (even if s/he disagrees with you), no questions asked. It's a bit late this year, but if you really want to opt out, just do it.

Good one. As if a principal wants to argue with a high SES snowflake parent from JKLM, as the principal has a choice once the parent shows up. "No questions asked". Yeah, tie me to the tree and tell me I'm free to go and that you are not holding me back.
OP, my low SES kid makes JKLM look good thanks to his high Parcc scores. He can take the test for your kid too.

Are you drunk, PP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, every DCPS principal doesn't give parents who decide to opt out a hard time. Ours, at a JKLM, lets the kids who are being opted out sit in the library during testing blocks, supervised by the librarian. The opt out kids aren't chased down later for make-up tests.

If you put the opt-out test in writing to the principal and lead testing admin well in advance, you may be surprised to find that your head of school will work with you (even if s/he disagrees with you), no questions asked. It's a bit late this year, but if you really want to opt out, just do it.

Good one. As if a principal wants to argue with a high SES snowflake parent from JKLM, as the principal has a choice once the parent shows up. "No questions asked". Yeah, tie me to the tree and tell me I'm free to go and that you are not holding me back.
OP, my low SES kid makes JKLM look good thanks to his high Parcc scores. He can take the test for your kid too.

Um, we're opting our dark-skinned children out without difficulty, at Lafayette. They don't have any unexcused absences currently, and won't have any after PARCC testing is done. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, every DCPS principal doesn't give parents who decide to opt out a hard time. Ours, at a JKLM, lets the kids who are being opted out sit in the library during testing blocks, supervised by the librarian. The opt out kids aren't chased down later for make-up tests.

If you put the opt-out test in writing to the principal and lead testing admin well in advance, you may be surprised to find that your head of school will work with you (even if s/he disagrees with you), no questions asked. It's a bit late this year, but if you really want to opt out, just do it.

Good one. As if a principal wants to argue with a high SES snowflake parent from JKLM, as the principal has a choice once the parent shows up. "No questions asked". Yeah, tie me to the tree and tell me I'm free to go and that you are not holding me back.
OP, my low SES kid makes JKLM look good thanks to his high Parcc scores. He can take the test for your kid too.

Um, we're opting our dark-skinned children out without difficulty, at Lafayette. They don't have any unexcused absences currently, and won't have any after PARCC testing is done. Thank you.

Well my dark skinned kid at Lafayette is carrying the weight and completing the test to bring up the average for other minority children. You’re welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year's 5th grade parents should be more pissed than anyone. Each year that PARCC has been in place this cohort has been forced to take an additional section, which does not even count towards their scores. This is in additional to 4th grade NAEP testing last year.

OSSE is administering to this control group to allow the vendor evaluate the test questions for consistency and effectiveness in evaluating core competencies. PARCC is a huge time suck as is, but this additional layer for 5th grade is really irritating. It would bother me less if they could ensure enough machines at each and every school in order to permit a shorter testing window rather than one that spreads out over weeks. I'm thankful that our ES only "preps" in briefly reviewing the online application functionality so the kids don't get hung up on the site usability.

You should have protested at the beginning of the year, it;s too late now as any teaching to the test, if it occured has already been done. Just take the damn test, you are only inconveniencing the school, other kids, and staff. It's just a test, if it wasn't the PARCC it would be something else. Not happy with the PARCC, speak to OSSE, show up at hearings, testify ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I think the PARCC is a waste of time, but I think that opting out is an ineffective way of protesting it. Our school and administration will be penalized if we don't have a certain number of students sit for it. The testing window is about two months long, so the testing coordinator spends the majority of that time running around trying to find kids who were absent on their scheduled days and making them take the test. When that happens, guess who has to give the test? Sped teachers, counselors, or teachers who would normally be on their planning period. Because PARCC trumps everything, kids are pulled from class indiscriminately even if they're in the middle of something important like classroom instruction or a quiz/test. I think a better suggestion is to hold elected officials accountable rather than penalizing the school and teachers who really have no control over it.

Thanks for this. On another thread we were hotly debating how PARCC testing hours are counting towards IEP services. Making the school's job harder for them means that special ed teacher resources get used up administering the PARCC rather than giving our kids their actual services. I get the objetions to PARCC, but it's something we just need to accept and not make harder for everyone. If you truly disagree with it tell your kid to sit there and write nonsense or whatever.

We don’t need to “just accept” what the teacher deems “a waste of time.” My kids take the test, but I want the school to minimize it’s impact on school life. Don’t teach to the test! Don’t have ridiculous “rah rah PARCC” school-wide assemblies! Don’t bring in PARCC cupcakes! Just give the damn tests and that’s it.

Amen. Also know that teachers and principal’s bonuses are tied to PARCC results.

[Anonymous]

Also know that the teachers and principals dislike PARCC more than you do. If you opt out, you should take your kid down to the OSSE office during testing and let them know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't get the reasoning behind skipping the PARCC. Your child has already "lost" weeks of regular instructional time in preparation for it. So you're not avoiding that, which in my mind is the greater problem.
By taking the PARCC, a kid gains experience in standardized test taking. We applied a 5th grader to private school this year and they asked for PARCC scores as well as the SSAT/ISEE test. Parts of these tests are very similar to the PARCC. The application high schools in DC require the PARCC. The PARCC is also not that dissimilar to the eventual SAT. It all helps as practice for standardized testing later in life.

Agree with all of this.

Agree that its not the test itself that's the problem ... but a school system that is so focused on standardized testing. Pulling your kids out of PARCC is an act of civil disobedience.

Opting out of PARCC is civil disobedience - hahaha that’s a good one. If you said you were picketing out front of OSSE or maybe doing a sit in, maybe, but opting out is far from a political protest. Please don’t confuse your kids into believing this choice you are making is a protest.

[Anonymous]

Repeat, parents should be able to make their own choices about what sort of standardized testing works for their families. I never took standardized tests before taking the PSAT, SATs and APs. My scores were high and I went on to an Ivy.

If you controlling busybodies see great value in having your children take the PARCC, terrific, Go for it. If you don't, march to your own drummer. Just as good. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Repeat, parents should be able to make their own choices about what sort of standardized testing works for their families. I never took standardized tests before taking the PSAT, SATs and APs. My scores were high and I went on to an Ivy.

If you controlling busybodies see great value in having your children take the PARCC, terrific, Go for it. If you don't, march to your own drummer. Just as good. End of story.

Bravo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, every DCPS principal doesn't give parents who decide to opt out a hard time. Ours, at a JKLM, lets the kids who are being opted out sit in the library during testing blocks, supervised by the librarian. The opt out kids aren't chased down later for make-up tests.

If you put the opt-out test in writing to the principal and lead testing admin well in advance, you may be surprised to find that your head of school will work with you (even if s/he disagrees with you), no questions asked. It's a bit late this year, but if you really want to opt out, just do it.

Good one. As if a principal wants to argue with a high SES snowflake parent from JKLM, as the principal has a choice once the parent shows up. "No questions asked". Yeah, tie me to the tree and tell me I'm free to go and that you are not holding me back.
OP, my low SES kid makes JKLM look good thanks to his high Parcc scores. He can take the test for your kid too.

Um, we're opting our dark-skinned children out without difficulty, at Lafayette. They don't have any unexcused absences currently, and won't have any after PARCC testing is done. Thank you.

Well my dark skinned kid at Lafayette is carrying the weight and completing the test to bring up the average for other minority children. You’re welcome.

We aren't letting the team down by dropping the ball/not carrying the weight when we never joined the team. But if you want your minority kid to run with the ball, more power to you. We hope that he scores 5s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Repeat, parents should be able to make their own choices about what sort of standardized testing works for their families. I never took standardized tests before taking the PSAT, SATs and APs. My scores were high and I went on to an Ivy.

If you controlling busybodies see great value in having your children take the PARCC, terrific, Go for it. If you don't, march to your own drummer. Just as good. End of story.

So are you opting out? What will your child do during testing? Have you let the school know and what did they say?

[Anonymous]

I find it interesting that so many states have dropped this test. It’s not just another test it is a huge time suck and I hope large numbers of opt outs will lead to some reconsidering the value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Repeat, parents should be able to make their own choices about what sort of standardized testing works for their families. I never took standardized tests before taking the PSAT, SATs and APs. My scores were high and I went on to an Ivy.

If you controlling busybodies see great value in having your children take the PARCC, terrific, Go for it. If you don't, march to your own drummer. Just as good. End of story.

So are you opting out? What will your child do during testing? Have you let the school know and what did they say?

Yes, opting out. Our principal doesn't seem to mind, but expects parents to deal with the kid during testing blocks. One of us will take the kid out but stay nearby, take a walk, visit the public library nearby, then return the kid to class. Bit of a hassle but we don't mind.