A number of Monroe County parents have contacted their local school district to let them know their child is planning on opting out of standardized tests scheduled for this week in Math and English.
Jody Siegle, executive director of the Monroe County School Boards Association, says she's not certain how many students will sit out of the testing, and local school officials probably won't know for certain until the tests are administered. Siegle says she thinks parents who take this action will not see the change they are seeking. " If parents are unhappy with decisions about how the tests are designed, how they're given, what they're used for, they really need to let their concerns be known to members of the Board of Regents and to their federal legislators. Those are the only two groups who are in a position to change the way this work is being done."
Siegle says there is no legal right to opt out of the tests. "That simply isn't something that exists. They're part of the schools' curriculum and one doesn't have the right to not participate in this part of the curriculum any more than a child could come in and say 'I'm not taking the math test today. I refuse.'"
According to Siegle, it is uncertain whether there would be any type of disciplinary action taken against students who refuse to sit for the tests. She says that decision will be made by each individual school. Data from the tests, mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, is used to determine whether a child needs extra support or tutoring, and also to evaluate schools and teacher performance.
