How do I opt my child out of testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not anti testing. Tests are important the anger and frustration is at these tests and at Pearson and how they have changed the public school experience. Why can't kids have more recess, gym, play, creative lesson plans for teachers? Because these stupid tests dominate and the teachers and principals need the kids to do well so they are scared to take time out of the day for important age appropriate work. Instead they want to max out on every moment of the school day to "teach to the test" so scores go up. Because teachers and principals are evaluated on these scores. For raises, job security etc... It's a terrible system and our kids are getting screwed. So, testing is fine - but it needs to be meaningful teacher designed assessment

Then lobby against Pearson, or help promote or design a better test. I'm all for teacher creativity, but gluing crepe paper to paper plates shouldn't replace mastery of reading or addition. I personally think the school day is too long, and kids would focus better with more recess and PE.

Seriously. the choice isn't between gluing crepe paper and taking standardized tests. And parents shouldn't have to go into the test design business any more than they should be expected to go into the textbook writing business to assure a decent public school education for their children. They also shouldn't be encouraged to skip direct contact with their kids' schools by lobbying against Pearson. Parents can have a lot of clout on the local level -- if they use it

So if a parent doesn't like the tests, why not send a letter to the chancellor about the tests?
Or find some of the teachers and administrators whose expertise you respect and encourage them to create a better set of standards and a better test
Boycotting the tests does less to change things than either of those other acts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One more time. People in the opt-out movement aren't "afraid of the test" for their own child. They are rightly concerned about the quality of THE PARCC test ( not all standardized testing) in terms of its validity. And also in terms of how high stakes tests that aren't well made will effect school culture, teacher latitude for creativity, early childhood education, narrowing of the curriculum and manufactured failure for children so tech companies can come in a "save the day".

For what its worth, it isn't just parents. It is school officials, assessment experts and experienced educators across the whole country who have similar concerns.

So you can take your whole "scaredy-cat-parent" schtick and shove off.

I'd happily advocate for well structured, appropriate tests. I've been following the anti-testers for a while though, and it seems there is no test which ever makes them happy. And the testing companies do not ever save the day, they offer a new and improved test, or books and prep materials. I've seen several posts about the anxiety the tests supposedly create in the poster"s child, and I'd suggest the parent look close to home for the source of that anxiety or at the specific teacher

So far as I can recall this is the first time that someone supporting NCLB testing has acknowledged that parents and home actually affect student learning. Interesting that it comes out only in blaming parents for the audacity of questioning the value of the tests.

I think it's perfectly clear that parents and home affect student learning, but they also affect student stress. I'd bet that the child whose parents don't even ask about the test has a different perception from the one whose parents ask repeatedly "Is your test tomorrow? Did you have a test today? How was the test? Did you understand the test? Did you finish the test?"

I believe testing is an essential tool to ensure quality of education, but I also acknowledge that some tests are duds (and I speak as a former teacher).
Would you drive a car which was never independently tested? Just rely on the manufacturers, because clearly they made the car themselves and are professionals?
Would you take medications from a lab which had never been tested and verified for content and potency by an outside agency?
Why is education such a 'hands off and let the teachers do their thing' business?

Kidding, right? Standardized testing is the exact opposite of "hands off...." It's forced on teachers and used to evaluate them.

Also, I completely agree that parents and home affect students, but I've never heard that clearly stated from school officials -- they have not backed away from the "teachers are everything" belief that has been espoused since reform started here in 2007, though they have been less vocal about it lately (perhaps because none of their data has proved that point)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
1. By not centering learning around the tests -- which are to make administrators look as good as possible -- not to help students or teachers -- for them the tests have the opposite effect.

2. By not teaching to the test all year round -- just have some time set aside for the tests themselves -- those results would truly show how kids are doing

3. By realizing that "failing schools" is a misnomer implying that the the main, perhaps only, cause of poor learning is the school building itself -- this is really crazy, as I think everyone realizes (at some level) that it's first the kids in the school that make the difference -- and its the limitations of their parents that make the difference in the kids. Next come the teachers --and teachers are limited by these standardized tests, as they have been saying for years. Last is the "school" itself -- if it's in poor condition or has limited space that will have some effect, but we all know good students (maybe ourselves) can come out of such schools.

I'd like to see teachers being given credit for moving a child reading at 3rd grade level to 6th grade level in a year, even if the child is actually an 8th grader.
However, I also want to think that the concepts being taught to my 4th grader in Ms Olsen's class are the same as he'd learn in Mr Jones' 4th grade class down the hall or across town. FWIW, I'm also a proponent of repeating grades if the material isn't mastered, and more identification and remediation with learning-disabled kids or those who are just behind. This is one reason why I'm fine with tests twice a year. I'd want to know if my child had lost a year, or half a year of gains in school, if my child had made no progress or less progress tan his peers. And I'd like to have a way to identify ineffective teaching, or a child who cannot learn in the current setting.
If you look at the special needs forum, you'll see parents complaining that they CAN'T get their child tested or evaluated in a timely fashion in order to qualify for IEP's or 504s. And over here we have parents complaining about their kids being tested
Unlike private schools, public schools don't get to pick their students, and schools can't ensure that the students are liberated from the hobbling effects of poverty. That isn't their battle to fight.

These are not the same standardized tests, though, are they?

Let's be careful to differentiate between the broad term "standardized tests" and PARCC or DC-CAS used for NCLB purposes. I'm sure central office would love to obfuscate and confuse parents by referring broadly to standardized test when they know very well they are not referring to the same thing that parents are. It's teaching to the test and over-testing and too much test prep that parents (and teachers) oppose -- not "standardized testing." Make sure to pin them down when they talk in generalities or when you're not sure exactly what they mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not anti testing. Tests are important the anger and frustration is at these tests and at Pearson and how they have changed the public school experience. Why can't kids have more recess, gym, play, creative lesson plans for teachers? Because these stupid tests dominate and the teachers and principals need the kids to do well so they are scared to take time out of the day for important age appropriate work. Instead they want to max out on every moment of the school day to "teach to the test" so scores go up. Because teachers and principals are evaluated on these scores. For raises, job security etc... It's a terrible system and our kids are getting screwed. So, testing is fine - but it needs to be meaningful teacher designed assessment

Then lobby against Pearson, or help promote or design a better test. I'm all for teacher creativity, but gluing crepe paper to paper plates shouldn't replace mastery of reading or addition. I personally think the school day is too long, and kids would focus better with more recess and PE.

Seriously. the choice isn't between gluing crepe paper and taking standardized tests. And parents shouldn't have to go into the test design business any more than they should be expected to go into the textbook writing business to assure a decent public school education for their children. They also shouldn't be encouraged to skip direct contact with their kids' schools by lobbying against Pearson. Parents can have a lot of clout on the local level -- if they use it

So if a parent doesn't like the tests, why not send a letter to the chancellor about the tests?
Or find some of the teachers and administrators whose expertise you respect and encourage them to create a better set of standards and a better test
Boycotting the tests does less to change things than either of those other acts

a letter to the chancellor doesn't speak very loudly, neither does "encouraging" people to create better tests. Both sounds like ways to make parents think they are doing something without really having any effect. Opting out has an effect that can't be ignored.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely true! Letters to he Chancellor or talking to the teacher will do absolutely nothing. But when all of a sudden a third or half of a school's student population refuses to take the test. Then the test does not become a meaningful "data point" for anything. The more people Opt out the more of a real statement is made. And you know what - politicians legislators business education officials - will then take notice. When they know their constituents are furious things will change. Hold them accountable! When half of the class doesn't take the test you can't really evaluate a teacher on scores. The whole situation begins to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely true! Letters to he Chancellor or talking to the teacher will do absolutely nothing. But when all of a sudden a third or half of a school's student population refuses to take the test. Then the test does not become a meaningful "data point" for anything. The more people Opt out the more of a real statement is made. And you know what - politicians legislators business education officials - will then take notice. When they know their constituents are furious things will change. Hold them accountable! When half of the class doesn't take the test you can't really evaluate a teacher on scores. The whole situation begins to change.

when the Chancellor gets 16000 emails referencing Parcc likely that gets attention.Or hits on twitter. Encouraging 'people in the know' to create new tests is for those posters who say they know respected leaders in academe or child development who don't approve of the tests. Since the posters know the names and provenance of the experts, surely they can send an email via a publisher or to the institution where these experts work?

[Anonymous]

And I DO want to evaluate teachers by scores. Just not raw scores. I want to know if the kids they teach are learning or not.
I do have issues with the implementation of course. I don't see why teachers of non core topics have less scrutiny than mathematics or English teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely true! Letters to he Chancellor or talking to the teacher will do absolutely nothing. But when all of a sudden a third or half of a school's student population refuses to take the test. Then the test does not become a meaningful "data point" for anything. The more people Opt out the more of a real statement is made. And you know what - politicians legislators business education officials - will then take notice. When they know their constituents are furious things will change. Hold them accountable! When half of the class doesn't take the test you can't really evaluate a teacher on scores. The whole situation begins to change.

when the Chancellor gets 16000 emails referencing Parcc likely that gets attention.Or hits on twitter. Encouraging 'people in the know' to create new tests is for those posters who say they know respected leaders in academe or child development who don't approve of the tests. Since the posters know the names and provenance of the experts, surely they can send an email via a publisher or to the institution where these experts work?

Fine -- start a letter writing campaign and see where that gets you. The Chancellor could have already received 36,000 emails and we would never know about it. Don't you get that she wants kids to take the test - and do well - to make her look good?

and sending more emails to testing experts? You'd be better off spending the time helping your kids with their homework.

Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I DO want to evaluate teachers by scores. Just not raw scores. I want to know if the kids they teach are learning or not.
I do have issues with the implementation of course. I don't see why teachers of non core topics have less scrutiny than mathematics or English teachers

Sounds like you haven't read any of the literature about the inability of these tests to accurately evaluate teachers by student standardized test scores -- or that the scores reflect SES more than anything else.

Check the NCLB break-outs and you'll see that kids in the sea class with the same teacher will have different scores mainly based on SES -- that's one positive thing that NCLB has done -- broken out scores by race and income making it perfectly obvious that it's not the teacher, it's the parents, who make the big difference.

Are some teachers better than others? Of course -- and some teachers are better with certain types of kids and in certain subjects -- but high-stakes testing doesn't measure that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

I disagree. Test results generally aren't released for months, if ever

[Anonymous]

Besides, a letter writing campaign won't tell administrators anything they don't know -- they know what the complaints are about testing -- they don't care. They support the companies that develop and administer the tests - not students, parents or teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

I disagree. Test results generally aren't released for months, if ever

Test results are released in the summer (usually late July-early august) after tests are taken in the Spring. They are always released -- that is the law. Parents who opt out would be the subjects of news stories at the time of the tests -- that's what's happened in other parts of the country, which DCPS knows very well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

I disagree. Test results generally aren't released for months, if ever

Test results are released in the summer (usually late July-early august) after tests are taken in the Spring. They are always released -- that is the law. Parents who opt out would be the subjects of news stories at the time of the tests -- that's what's happened in other parts of the country, which DCPS knows very well.

I want to opt out because it appears that the 3 days scheduled for PARRC testing are right before the AP Calc AB exam - which matters a hell of a lot more to my child's academic future than the score on this stupid test.

What about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

I disagree. Test results generally aren't released for months, if ever

Test results are released in the summer (usually late July-early august) after tests are taken in the Spring. They are always released -- that is the law. Parents who opt out would be the subjects of news stories at the time of the tests -- that's what's happened in other parts of the country, which DCPS knows very well.

I want to opt out because it appears that the 3 days scheduled for PARRC testing are right before the AP Calc AB exam - which matters a hell of a lot more to my child's academic future than the score on this stupid test.

What about that?

What about it? If you want to opt out, opt out. It's your decision, Calc exam or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Really, it's easier and more effective to just opt out of the tests - that's something the chancellor can't hide or deny. A few high scorers opting out at each school will get more attention and have more of an effect than a zillion emails

I disagree. Test results generally aren't released for months, if ever

Test results are released in the summer (usually late July-early august) after tests are taken in the Spring. They are always released -- that is the law. Parents who opt out would be the subjects of news stories at the time of the tests -- that's what's happened in other parts of the country, which DCPS knows very well.

I want to opt out because it appears that the 3 days scheduled for PARRC testing are right before the AP Calc AB exam - which matters a hell of a lot more to my child's academic future than the score on this stupid test.

What about that?

kids at that level are still being tested? My kids haven't been tested since Geometry