What You Might Be Told When You Refuse Standardized Testing of Your Child
What You Might Be Told When You Refuse Standardized Testing of Your Child
NOTE: Idaho is a local control state. Check your district policies, ask for clarification when needed, and ask to see policies in writing.
You may hear, “By Law Your Child is Required To Be Tested”
This is true. But there are alternatives to standardized tests that your local district can provide. In a local control state, the school board has the last say on alternate routes, such as portfolio assessments, for meeting requirements.
In the past standardized tests were given only at major transition points – 4th, 8th, 12th grades. Excessive testing is costly in terms of dollars spent and lost instructional time.
You may hear, “Your School’s STAR Rating is Affected If You Refuse Testing”
It is possible, but that would be a good thing! 95% student participation is set by No Child Left Behind – the research-proven federal test-based accountability failure.
Hundreds of organizations, school administrators, other professional educators, and generations of parents before you have tried to get this detrimental and costly law off the books — now, it has come to this — Opt-Out, Refuse, Boycott until “they” listen.
There has been a request from the SDE that this years test scores not affect the Star Rating.
You may hear, “Your School Will Lose Funding If Less Than 95% of Students Take the Tests”
Schools receive ~90% of their state funding based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA), which is not test score-related.
Where schools could lose money is in chasing off parents. The advice given to schools in “Talking Points” sent out by the Idaho Department of Education (2013-14) included a sample letter stating “the only way that a parent/guardian could opt out of the assessment would be to home school their child or place them in a private school/parochial school as all public schools require the standards be taught and measured using a year- end summative assessment.”
What they aren’t telling you is that there are alternatives to SBAC/ISAT 2 tests that your local district can approve.
You may hear, “You Are Hurting Your Child’s Education by Not Testing Them Yearly”
The end of the year tests, SBAC / ISAT 2, are “summative” measures. They happen “after” the learning has occurred. You won’t know what questions your child missed; you won’t even be allowed to see exactly what they are being asked, neither is the teacher. You are being asked to trust the testing company.
If your teacher is unaware of how your student is doing in comparison to the standards they are teaching to, there is a problem that can’t be helped by tests!
Standardized tests developed by outside companies do not accurately determine what your child knows.
