I seriously just want to opt out of testing

[Anonymous]

I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

You can opt out. What your child does for the testing days will depend on your school.

FWIW as the parent of a SN kid I think those kids ARE included in testing, with appropriate accommodations. If all kids with needs opt out, then schools and school districts cannot be held accountable for how well they are, or are not, educating these students.

Now whether this particular test is a good instrument is a totally different question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

You can opt out. What your child does for the testing days will depend on your school.

FWIW as the parent of a SN kid I think those kids ARE included in testing, with appropriate accommodations. If all kids with needs opt out, then schools and school districts cannot be held accountable for how well they are, or are not, educating these students.

Now whether this particular test is a good instrument is a totally different question.

Sorry - typing too fast. I meant to say "I think it's important that those kids with special needs ARE included..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

I get what you are saying, and agree with a lot of your points. But testing is important for the clearer light it sheds on how underprivileged kids are being helped (or not really for now).

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/no-child-left-behind-republicans-oppose-standardized-tests

Any time we "trust the states" it generally hasn't worked out well throughout American history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

You can find a way to opt out of the 6 or 8 days of actual testing, probably. But you need to know that exam content drives the curriculum on the macro and most of the micro level in public school. Even at the DCPS and PCS that claim it does not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

Or you can look at it a different way. If your child's scores are much lower than the rest of his cohort, then your child's school has not serving him/her well. Public schools need to reach all kinds of learners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

You can find a way to opt out of the 6 or 8 days of actual testing, probably. But you need to know that exam content drives the curriculum on the macro and most of the micro level in public school. Even at the DCPS and PCS that claim it does not.

That is true of many schools in DC, but definitely not all. Have had private discussions with school leaders who specifically state that they are going to do X or Y because it is mission aligned or developmentally appropriate, even though they know it won't help with testing and may hurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

Or you can look at it a different way. If your child's scores are much lower than the rest of his cohort, then your child's school has not serving him/her well. Public schools need to reach all kinds of learners.

Bingo. As the fellow parent of an SN child, if the school is falling down on the job I want it to show up in the stats that matter.

[Anonymous]

http://unitedoptout.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Opt-Out-for-Special-Needs-Exceptional-Students-February-2015.pdf

[Anonymous]

OP, you can hassle with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education people over officially opting out (we did it, big headache, believe me, they aren't there to help you opt out), or just write your principal a note telling him or her that you're going to opt out. I'd notarize the note and make my own arrangements for childcare on test days - you can't trust DCPS to work with you. You send your kid to school have them marked present, then take them home, or wherever else, for the rest of the school day. Email the school every day to explain what you're doing for your records, just in case the truancy police/social workers come knocking over unexused absence issues.

Your kid can't be held back a grade, or otherwise penalized, if you opt out. You don't need to explain a thing - the law is on your side. Just do it if you wish. I wouldn't worry about aggregate scores, indivudal scores, philosophy of testing, helping the the poor or anything else if you decide to opt out. As you may know, nearly 20% of public school families in NJ opted out earlier this year, mainly to protest high stakes standardized testing vis a vis teachers' assessments. If only DC parents were half as plucky collectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

Then stop reading them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand these endless threads parsing statistically insignificant (likely) differences in test scores indicating the "best schools."

I am pretty sure my ADHD child, undiagnosed until this summer, did not score well and is bringing the school down.

I can't stand that testing as it exists now isn't really measuring anything and is widely disparaged, until the day the scores come out and it is suddenly incredibly meaningful and telling.

I was part of the education reform movement that led us into testing (Data! we need data!), and now I want out. How realistic is it to opt out of testing in DC (when private schools are out of reach)? What happens if you opt out?

Then stop reading them.

+1 Not knowing about how crappy the education is in DC is not going to make it any better... but hey, if it makes you feel better not knowing stop reading.

[Anonymous]

Do you still think we need data?

[Anonymous]

Yes, from a dcps teacher and parent of 2 dcps kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, from a dcps teacher and parent of 2 dcps kids.

Of course we need data but we need to be able to use it. It's now November what are we going to do with it now? Also why are we using it to evaluate teachers, what was PARCC designed for teachers or students? What does the data tell us about the skills of the lowest performing students, how far can we did into the data and who has access to it? How much time should be spent on acquiring this data and by what means? If it is computerized why did it take so long to get the results?