Reply to PARCC -- What a waste. Can we opt out?

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Reply to "PARCC -- What a waste. Can we opt out?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I can't speak for all those who want to opt out but my beef is with public school systems enriching lousy, profit-sucking Pearson Education and McGraw-Hill, regardless of the tests these corporate behemoths are creating and grading.

If you look at the language used in the OSSE guidelines and read between the lines, they're just talking about using attendance policy as a cudgel to rein in families contemplating opting out.  Fortunately, attendance is a blunt instrument.

Unless you're in attendance hot water come testing season in a DCPS, without the wiggle room to nudge 9 unexcused absences, you're good on opting out.  More than 9 unexcused absences and a social worker is likely to intervene.  He or she can then recommend a criminal child neglect charge for truancy (10 absences+ during a single school year), with the school principal and a public prosecutor signing off on the paperwork.  But if your kids' attendance records are solid in testing grades, and you're prepared to keep them out of school on testing days, DCPS lacks the tools to come at your family for a student missing a few days of school unexcused for any reason.  Most schools give the PARCC over 3 or 4 days.

Those serious about opting out can pull it off without fear of reprisal, but will need to keep careful records documenting a kid's absences in grades 3-8.  Be sure to shoot your school registrar an email each time a kid stays home sick, or takes a day off school to observe a religious holiday, and keep a file of this correspondence in case push comes to shove on attendance issues vis a vis opting out.

Currently,	there	is no	legislation	banning parents	from	opting	out	of	statewide assessments,	nor	is	
there	legislation	for	an	opt-out	process.	According	to	the	statewide assessment	policy from 	OSSE,	
eligible	students	are	required	to	take	any	statewide assessments.	A	child	may	be	marked	as	absent	
for	the	time	missed during	assessment	testing	days. A	student who	does	not	take	the	PARCC	
assessment	may	also	be	excluded	from	any	incentive	rewards	for	successful	completion	of	
assessments. Parents	should	discuss	their	concerns	with	the	school	and	familiarize	themselves	with	
the	PARCC	assessment	and	applicable	attendance 	policy	before	making	their	decision.
Does	anything	happen	to	LEAs if	I	choose	to	have	my	child	opt-out	of statewide assessments?
[/quote]

All schools set aside days for PARCC makeup for sick kids. So you'd need to keep your kids home then too. [/quote]

Untrue, but you will need to assert yourself to avoid being hassled about make-up days.  Train your child to refuse make-up tests (I need to call my mother now) and the school will almost certainly back off.  [/quote]

:roll: I was trained to refuse certain school practices for ideological reasons.  It did nothing, except make me feel weird and self-conscious, and exacerbate an already existing tendency towards anxiety (which was what was playing out for my mom anyway in insisting on these things).  Maybe you should look into why this is such a huge deal to you. [/quote]

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