Article from Times Herald Record: Movement to Opt Out of State Tests Growing
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385
By Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New
York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids
from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next
round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the
standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to
take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson.
Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to
teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests
because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy
Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson
Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school
boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and
high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these
decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies
at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate
and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school
administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has
called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from
test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and,
in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,”
Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest
unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year
moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s
wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide
advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in
order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of
NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test
scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom
time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time
scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while
those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths
of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to
three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for
tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but
they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year
with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused
the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to
be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If
that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked
them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the
results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests.
King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the
results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent
passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing
the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal
law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and
parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said
Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how
well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new
statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving
and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the
coalition’s spokesman.
- See more at:
http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385#sthash.ldLQgcVU.dpuf
y Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385#sthash.ldLQgcVU.dpuf
y Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385#sthash.ldLQgcVU.dpuf
y Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385#sthash.ldLQgcVU.dpuf
y Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/NEWS/141019385#sthash.ldLQgcVU.dpuf
By Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/News/141019385#sthash.LcsR178M.dpuf
By Pauline Liu
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Times Herald-Record
Posted Oct. 19, 2014 @ 7:39 pm
Updated Oct 20, 2014 at 12:00 AM
A revolt over excessive testing is heating up in New York.
Parents groups who've been "opting out" their kids from state tests have set a new goal to have 250,000 students boycott the next round of the exams - compared to 55,000 students who didn't take the standardized tests this year.
More than 1 million students in grades 3-8 are scheduled to take the math and English tests when they’re offered next spring.
The boycott is gaining ground here in the mid-Hudson. Advocacy groups say that the tests are too long and shouldn't be tied to teacher evaluations.
“We feel it’s important for parents to refuse the tests because it’s a very powerful way for parents to send a message,” said Nancy Schniedewind of the New Paltz-based group Re-thinking Testing Mid-Hudson Region. “Education has been taken out of the hands of communities, school boards and parents. It’s now in the hands of corporations, politicians and high-level educational administrators and they should not be making these decisions.”
Schniedewind, who is also a professor of Educational Studies at SUNY New Paltz, described the state tests as “developmentally inappropriate and unfair to all students, especially those in elementary school.”
The boycott has also won the backing of some school administrators. Most vocal is Middletown Superintendent Ken Eastwood, who has called Common Core testing “a failure.”
“All the parents are doing is protecting their children from test results that are premature, false indicators of what has been learned and, in any other world, an act that disregards student dignity and potential,” Eastwood said.
New York State United Teachers, one of the state’s largest unions representing more than 600,000 teachers, is supporting the boycott.
Legislation passed over the summer has placed a two-year moratorium on the use of state test scores to evaluate teachers.
“It’s important to use those two years to try to fix what’s wrong with testing and evaluations,” said Carl Korn, NYSUT spokesman.
Leading the charge to boycott state testing is the statewide advocacy group New York Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE).
Why 250,000?
“That’s the number of students that we think we need in order to put an end to high-stakes testing,” said Jeanette Deutermann of NYSAPE, a mother of two from Long Island.
NYSAPE is calling on the state to stop using student test scores for teacher evaluation, because the group claims that too much of classroom time is spent teaching to the tests in an effort to improve results.
NYSAPE is also demanding shorter tests. A lot shorter.
The exams were given over six days. The actual time scheduled for students in grades 5-8 to take the tests was nearly 9 hours, while those in grades 3-4 were given nearly 7 hours to complete the exams.
The State Education Department reduced the overall lengths of the 2014 tests by 20 minutes, but the group wants the tests cut down to three hours, claiming that the longer tests only serve to drive up profits for tech and data storage companies.
“Parents have tried in so many ways to ask for change, but they haven’t been heard,” Deutermann said.
What's become known as the opt out movement began last year with the introduction of the new Common Core-based state exams.
According to the state, about 6,000 parents in 2013 refused the tests on behalf of their kids in grades 3-8. In order for their children to be excused, the refusals had to be submitted to school officials in writing. If that wasn't done, the student would be asked to make up the test.
Nearly 70 percent of students who did take the tests flunked them. State Education Commissioner John King, Jr. responded by saying that the results would be used to set a “new baseline for testing.”
This year, about 55,000 students opted out of the tests. King said those who took the exams in 2014 made “incremental” gains over the results from the previous year.
Math scores inched up slightly so that nearly 36 percent passed, while reading scores remained flat with only about 31 percent passing the exams.
NYSED pointed out that the tests are required under federal law and the federal Race to the Top program.
“State assessments offer an opportunity for educators and parents to gauge the progress a child is making toward the standards,” said Jonathan Burman, spokesman for NYSED. “Why wouldn’t a parent want to know how well his or her child is doing?"
NYSED also has its share of supporters, including a new statewide business and community coalition called High Achievement New York.
“Preventing children from measuring their problem solving and critical thinking skills is the wrong path,” said John Collins, the coalition’s spokesman.
pliu@th-record.com- See more at: http://www.recordonline.com/article/20141019/News/141019385#sthash.LcsR178M.dpuf
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