The time of year for
standardized state testing has arrived and if you have school-age children, there’s no way to avoid this topic.
Everyone has strong opinions when it comes to the issue of “opting out,” so how
do you decide what’s best for your child?
To help you make the best decision for your child, let me debunk some common
parental concerns when it comes to opting out:
Will opting out spoil my child or teach them to avoid responsibility?
No. State tests are not real life situations and many parents and educators
feel they are poorly constructed and developmentally inappropriate. You can
teach your child to be responsible on a daily basis by having them do chores,
manage more of their morning and evening routine, and face the natural
consequences of practical slip-ups (i.e., forgotten permission slips, lunch
bags, homework assignments).
Will opting out leave my child unprepared for future tests?
No. Our public education system includes plenty of opportunities for students
to practice taking tests on a weekly basis in the classroom. Your child’s
preparedness for future SAT or ACT exams has nothing to do with how often he or
she sat for state tests starting in grade school. In fact, hearing year after
year that scores don’t matter and that there’s no way to prepare may set a
negative precedent and make it even harder for kids who take state tests to
gear up when preparation does count and scores do matter.
Will there be negative consequences at school if my child opts out?
No. State laws vary, but national laws protect a parent’s right to opt their
child out of standardized tests. Furthermore, even states that threaten to
change district funding if opt-out rates exceed a certain percentage have never
acted on those warnings. Might you ruffle a few feathers or get an ear-full
from an administrator if you opt your child out? Sure. Will opting your child
out endanger their standing as a student or their ability to move on to the
next grade? Absolutely not.
Image: Shutterstock
After you’ve made your decision, here
are a few things to keep in mind:
- You’ll
need to write a letter. You
can find resources online about specific information to include in your
state, but a simple opt-out statement is really all you need to begin
with. Click the button below to download the sample letter I use:
- Your
school district may have specific policies or procedures they ask you to
follow. You can do your best, but
at the end of the day sending a simple note to your child’s principal is
sufficient to start the process.
- There’s
no deadline, so if you’ve made your
decision closer to the test date(s) send the letter in anyway—even if it’s
the day of the test.
- Ask what
your child will be doing while peers are taking tests (most will be asked to engage in
quiet activities in an alternate classroom or location, such as an
auditorium or gymnasium).
- Know
that if you keep your child home from school on the day of testing he or
she will miss instruction that’s provided after the testing is over.
- Most
districts do not consider it a legal/excused absence if you list the reason as “opting
out of standardized testing.”
Most
schools will allow you to keep your child home during the hour(s) of testing
without an attendance penalty if your son or daughter arrives in time for
educational instruction (you can
call ahead and ask about timing for your child’s specific test).
