Can we opt out of the MSA?

[Anonymous]

Our middle school has 8 days listed for MSA on the calendar. Does this mean they take tests on each of those days?

[Anonymous]

One does not have to keep their kid out of school for 3 weeks to opt out. But you do have to write a letter to the principal stating that you are opting out, and that you do not want your child to take either the test or the make-up. I am not completely against standardized tests by any means. But this year, testing with the MSA which is not aligned with the curriculum seems to be a waste of time. And I do very much object to the amount of time my school has in prior years spent on prepping and practicing, as well as the "cheerleading".

I guess I have to decide if I want to join twitter to get Dr. Starr's attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One does not have to keep their kid out of school for 3 weeks to opt out. But you do have to write a letter to the principal stating that you are opting out, and that you do not want your child to take either the test or the make-up. I am not completely against standardized tests by any means. But this year, testing with the MSA which is not aligned with the curriculum seems to be a waste of time. And I do very much object to the amount of time my school has in prior years spent on prepping and practicing, as well as the "cheerleading".

I guess I have to decide if I want to join twitter to get Dr. Starr's attention.

Guess who agrees with you?

That's right! Joshua Starr!

[Anonymous]

You can email Starr. You don't have to use twitter. I actually got a thorough response recently from a staff person about a concern.

[Anonymous]

The way to opt out is to send your child to private school.

[Anonymous]

The person who said you have to keep your child out of school for 3 weeks is not really thinking this through.

You just put it in writing that your child is not taking the test. You may have to keep them home for the initial testing but they can't then test your child as a make up if you have protested.

Of course, your child is still wasting the time in the classroom while they prepare. However, I feel that once the child sits through all the prep - there is no point in taking the test. They have already learned what they need (or learned nothing and taking the test won't help at that point)

I think most parents are too afraid to opt out. That is a shame.

We are likely leaving MCPS at the end of this year for private school. Our school is just not a good place for our son. It's not challenging and some of the teachers really waste a lot of time. It can happen anywhere of course but we are going to give private school a try.

[Anonymous]

So what does having your child sit at home instead accomplish? I have no issue with my kid taking the test. Sure, I wish it was aligned to the curriculum but the more data points I have on my kid the better.

My kids 3rd grade practice tests are kind of challenging. Its actually more interesting to him I think than repeating 10 different ways to explain fractions.

[Anonymous]

While it's not aligned, it does - sadly - prepare them for a lifetime of tests.

college entrance exams, for example

tests everywhere!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One does not have to keep their kid out of school for 3 weeks to opt out. But you do have to write a letter to the principal stating that you are opting out, and that you do not want your child to take either the test or the make-up. I am not completely against standardized tests by any means. But this year, testing with the MSA which is not aligned with the curriculum seems to be a waste of time. And I do very much object to the amount of time my school has in prior years spent on prepping and practicing, as well as the "cheerleading".

I guess I have to decide if I want to join twitter to get Dr. Starr's attention.

Guess who agrees with you?

That's right! Joshua Starr!

The person who doesn't agree with Starr (and about 21 other superintendents in the state of Maryland) is Gov. Martin O'Malley. 22 of the superintendents have said they don't want to give the MSA this year since the test is going away next year, it doesn't reflect the current curriculum (for grades 3-5), and takes away valuable instruction time. O'Malley continues to insist on having the test.

More details - and how to voice your complaint to O'Malley -
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs192/1107753542216/archive/1116548115424.html

[Anonymous]

I am considering opting out my child this year. I would not consider opting out in other years but this year, in particular, seems useless. My child is in the GT program and I don't really care about knowing the individual score.

My question is: Would it hurt the school in any way if I opt out and might it hurt my child in any way? I saw online that the child would be assigned the lowest score if a parent opts out (not certain this is accurate). This does not concern me unless it hurts my child down the line. I would much rather take my child to a museum a couple mornings and then bring the child back to school when classroom instruction resumes. We rarely have time for those activities. I don't want to be a pain in the neck but this is just wasted time.