School Admins: No Way to 'Opt Out' of Standardized Student Testing

The buzzwords in educational communities across Long Island right now go like this: "opt out."

The term refers to the question of whether parents can choose to have their children in grades 3 through 8 not take the upcoming state standardized tests, which are designed to measure proficiency in English and math based on the "common core" school curriculum. The common core curriculum, adopted by 42 states so far, is a national standard to align student learning and better prepare them for college and careers.

Three Village school officials on Tuesday addressed this question for parents, saying that a choice to "opt out" simply doesn't exist within state law.

"You may be reading in the newspaper lately or have even received information via Facebook or other modes," superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said. "There is no such thing as a parental 'opt out' for taking the test."

Kevin Scanlon, Three Village's assistant superintendent for educational services, said the district has had to explain this to quite a few parents calling district offices with questions.

On Facebook, a handful of "opt out" groups have formed, like this one here, in which parents share information, resources, opinions and anecdotes regarding the idea that their children can refuse to participate in the testing. But according to this article published by the New York State Association of School Attorneys, New York State education law does not allow for opting out of the tests except in certain special education circumstances.

Newsday reported this week that state education commissioner John B. King, Jr. said it is expected that approximately 35 percent fewer students will pass this year's tests.

Supporters of the "opt out" movement say the testing is too stressful for kids and it takes away valuable classroom time that could be spent focusing on the curriculum rather than on test prep. Some also say the lower passing scores will lead to low self-esteem in students who may feel upset for performing "poorly" on the tests. Students are ultimately scored on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 meaning "excellence," 3 meaning "proficient," and 2 and 1 meaning the student is below proficiency for his or her grade level.

King was quoted as saying: "Certainly, the tests will be more challenging this year, because they're based on higher standards. We expect the numbers of students earning 3s and 4s initially will be less, but we expect that to improve over time."

Pedisich acknowledged that there is already a great deal of standardized testing for students. "While I do think that there is over-testing, information gathered by the test also helps to drive instruction as well as remediation to our students," she said.

In the nearby Comsewogue school district, the Board of Education adopted a measure that formally takes a stance against the over-reliance on standardized testing, addressing exactly those concerns.

According to Pedisich, students not taking the test will affect the schools' overall scores in a negative way, and having fewer than 95 percent of students take the tests jeopardizes the federal funding the school district receives.

In response to a request for comment Tuesday, state education department spokesman Dennis Tompkins provided this statement: "We are now three years into a statewide effort to provide teachers with the professional development and other supports they need to make the transition to the Common Core. It's hard to understand how some can claim that they are being caught unprepared for the change. It's equally difficult to understand why anyone would suggest that the change is happening too quickly for teachers and students, when the exact opposite is true. If we want our children to be ready for college and meaningful careers, we need higher standards – and a way to measure whether those standards are being met – and we need them now."

But in an essay published by the Washington Post, a Long Island principal, Carol Burris of South Side High School, advised parents not to place too much emphasis on the results of state testing: "If you want to know how your child is doing in school, ask his or her teacher. Do not ever believe that your child’s potential for success in college and in life can be demonstrated by an elementary, or even a middle-school test."

Scanlon said the school testing industry has developed into a multi-billion dollar business in which each assessment costs about $1 million to develop.

"The tests are not created by any New York State agency, government or school system," he said. "They are farmed out to companies which receive bids from the state and contribute to campaigns."

School trustee Deanna Bavlnka said she feels that school systems are driven by politics rather than by sound educational policy. "Until that changes we will all be pawns in the money game," she said.