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New Common Core exams from PARCC, Ohio's testing consortium,are underway in Ohio and other states. While most students will take the tests online, many will still use paper and pencil.
DENVER, Colorado - With parents nationwide choosing to pull their kids out of PARCC and other new Common Core tests, a new report from the Education Commission of the States today shows how different states are handling the opt-out movement.
"Determining whether states allow assessment opt-outs can be complex and is constantly evolving," the report reads.
See the
here.
"In some states the answer is clear: State policies either allow or prohibit state assessment opt-outs, or state departments of education issue clear guidance that opt-outs are not allowed," the report states.
"In many states, however, the guidance as to whether opt-outs are allowed is far less clear, as departments of education are often silent on the issue," it continues.
The report does not tally the number of states that specifically allow opt-outs, prohibit them or leave it unclear, but has a short explanation by state.
It lists a few highlights:
- State laws in California and Utah allow parents to opt their children out of state assessments for any reason.
- Legislation introduced in New Jersey would allow opt-outs. Similar legislation in Mississippi failed to progress.
- Laws in some states -- such as Arkansas and Texas -- clearly prohibit opt-outs, while the law is less clear in other states.
It gives Ohio credit for giving
1. Third graders may be retained due to the state's third-grade reading and retention policies. 2. Opting out may affect high school graduation, as assessments are part of the state's graduation requirements. 3. English language learners may be delayed or prevented from exiting the English development program.
That's consistent with what we have heard from state officials, but the PARCC tests will not be used for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee this year. The state will give third graders the old third grade reading Ohio Achievement Assessment instead.
As we reported earlier this month, State School Board member Sarah Fowler, of Ashtabula County, complained at this months' board meeting that Ohio's guidance letter did not let parents know that they can opt out, just spelled out reasons why they should not.
As we reported in November, Ohio does not have an official "opt-out" form for parents to fill out when removing children from tests. Ohio Department of Education spokesman John Charlton told us that parents have that right, simply by informing the district.
There are ramifications of not taking tests, as ESC described, so districts are required to give you a letter informing you of them.
As we reported previously, students who refuse to take state exams also can hurt a school's state report card. If a student doesn't take a test, he or she can't count as "Proficient." That lowers a school's change of having enough students qualifying as "Proficient" to meet state benchmarks.
Students who skip tests are not counted toward the district's value added score - a measure of how much academic growth students make over a school year, Charlton said.