Parents Across Rhode Island

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OPT OUT / REFUSE participation in Standardized Testing

O ne of the ways parents can take control of how standardized testing may impact their children is to 'refuse'  to allow their own children to take standardized tests administered in their schools.

Below are some guidelines compiled by United Opt Out Rhode Island in conjunction with United Opt Out to provide parents with information about current testing practices and opt out policies in our state.  Since Rhode Island does not have specific opt out policies, parents are limited on the grounds for which they can opt their child out of testing. However, parents can REFUSE to have their children take these tests. These options are explained below and a sample letter can be found HERE .  We would like to thank We n d y Holmes and Sheila Resseger from United Opt Out RI for their hard work and diligence in putting this information together as a resource for all RI parents.



Testing Opt-Out/Refusal Guide for RHODE ISLAND

ATTENTION PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS
Find out how over-testing and the misuse of testing affects YOUR children


Ask the school to provide:

  • Names and brief descriptions of all mandated state and district assessments and surveys being given to your child
  • Whether the assessments are paper-and-pencil or administered on the computer (If on the computer, will the use for administration of the assessments interfere with other purposes for using the computers for instruction?)
  1. Dates the assessments will be given
  2. Amount of regular class time that will be devoted to preparing students for these assessments, including practice with keyboarding skills
  3. Specific explanation regarding what will be done with the data collected in conjunction with the administration of these assessments. (If it is going to drive instruction, please explain how.

  4. What guarantee can you give that my child’s personally identifiable data will be secure?
  5. Will my child be using a different curriculum or materials as a result of his/her performance? If so—what are these programs and materials?
  6. Will my child be denied art, music, phys ed, recess, or elective courses in order to receive remedial work due to unsatisfactory test scores?
  7. Are all accommodations and modifications provided according to the students’ IEPs?

What are the Problems with High Stakes Testing? *

  • HST is not scientifically-based and fails to follow the U.S. Government's own data on learning.
  • Fosters test driven education that narrows the curriculum and does not meet the individual/intellectual needs of students; it is crowding out the arts, music, library, and even recess.
  • Due to the developmentally inappropriate expectations and aggressive pacing, HST negatively affects children’s psycho/socio/emotional well-being, inexcusably increasing the incidence of anxiety, depression, and acting out.
  • Reduces a child’s capacity for attaining new knowledge.
  • Kills curiosity and love of learning.
  • Leads to the underserving or mis-serving of all students, especially the most needy and vulnerable, thereby violating the principle of ‘do no harm.’ HST is particularly damaging to second language learner students, impoverished students, and students with disabilities.
  • Is in opposition to the corrective action in gaps in opportunity and resources sanctioned by the Fiscal Fairness Act.
  • Supports complicity of corporate interests rather than democracy based on public concerns and public input.
  • Diverts greatly needed funds from public schools to corporations.
  • Low/poor test scores, which are likely to occur with more frequency with Common Core and PARCC, will be used to fire teachers, create more online learning scenarios even in elementary schools, and close more public schools to be replaced with for-profit charter schools.
  • Data collection of student's private information cannot be guaranteed secure or that it will not be abused in some way by third party entities.

Re: DATA COLLECTION CONCERNS*

CHANGES MADE TO FERPA TO FIT COMMON CORE DATA COLLECTION: The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, was enacted in 1974 to protect the privacy of education records. In 2008 and 2011, amendments to FERPA gave third parties, including private companies, increased access to student data. In 2008, the amendments to FERPA expanded the definitions of ‘school officials’ who have access to student data to include ‘contractors, consultants, volunteers, and other parties to whom an educational agency or institution has outsourced institutional services or functions it would otherwise use employees to perform.’


By opting out and clearly refusing to allow your child’s data to be stored, you are helping to stop Common Core and High Stakes Testing.


*ideas taken from United Opt Out National and the UOO “Parent Guide to Common Core and High Stakes Testing/ PARENTS ARE THE KEY,” copyright 2013

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT YOUR CHILDREN THROUGH THIS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE HIGH STAKES TESTING ORDEAL!

Opt Out/Refuse/Boycott state and federally mandated standardized testing !


Remember —Boycotting the testing is not breaking the law. You do not need to ask permission—you are doing what is right for your child.


Further reassurance : In an email dated September 18, 2014, Dr. Phyllis Lynch, Director, Office of Instruction, Assessment, & Curriculum at the Rhode Island Department of Elementary & Secondary Education responded to questions regarding non-participation in the PARCC (Common Core) testing in this way:


"We expect all students to participate in state assessments, but no law requires participation."

In response to a further email, she responded on September 24, 2014:

"PARCC is in the process of establishing codes for students who do not participate in the PARCC assessment.  Students who opt out of participation in the assessment, like other students who do not take the assessment for a variety of reasons, would not receive a score. For school accountability and for public reports, we calculate both participation rates and the percentage of students who attain proficiency (and other scoring levels). Students who opt out of participation on state assessments will be counted as a non-participant when we calculate participation rates, but the nonparticipating students will not receive a score of “0” when we calculate the percent of students who attained proficiency."


"It is up to local school districts to determine what accommodations will be available to students who do not participate in PARCC assessment.  Parents should meet with their children’s teachers or other school or district leaders to determine what their children will do during the time when other children are taking state assessments."


"Opting out of participation in state assessments, under current state laws and regulations, will not affect a student’s placement, grade retention,  or receipt of special services, nor will opting out affect a teacher’s evaluation. Parents should discuss with local school officials whether any local policies in their district or school can affect placement, grade retention, or receipt of special services. For high-school students, however, participation in state assessments has been a diploma requirement since 2003.  Under a state law passed this year, state assessments cannot be a diploma requirement until the Class of 2017 – our current 10th graders"

Steps to Opt Out/Refuse the Testing

  1. Inform yourself before deciding to opt your child out of testing.
  2. If you have decided that you choose to opt your child out, notify your child’s teacher and principal in writing of your decision as early in the school year as possible; include the reasons for your decision. Use the term “Refuse” rather than opt out.
  3. See http://unitedoptout.com/state-by-state-opt-out-2/rhode-island/ for background information on Opting Out/Refusing in RI, and for sample opt out letters.
  4. United Opt Out National is a valuable resource about the corporate driven assault on public education in general, as well as opting out of testing. http://unitedoptout.com/
  5. Parents Across RI also has additional information about Opting Out in RI, and a sample letter that has been successfully used by a parent in RI. http://www.parentsacrossri.org/
  6. You may want to suggest that your child’s academic progress be monitored with a portfolio of your child’s school work, in lieu of the standardized testing. You may also want to keep your own file of the school work that your child brings home.
  7. Discuss with your child’s teacher and principal what the children who are not participating will do during the time when other children are taking the state assessments.
  8. Make sure your administrators are aware that according to RIDE, opting out of participation in state assessments, under current state laws and regulations, will not affect a student’s placement, grade retention,  or receipt of special services, nor will opting out affect a teacher’s evaluation.
  9. Be aware that you and your child may experience pushback from the child’s teacher and the school administration. This process is new, and even administrators may not be fully informed of parents’ rights. Be sure to keep a record of all correspondence relating to the test refusal. If you feel comfortable, provide feedback on your experience to Opt Out RI so that other parents can benefit from your challenges and accomplishments. (contact: [email protected] )

See http://fairtest.org/common-core-assessments-factsheet for a fact sheet on “Common Core Assessment Myths and Realities: Moratorium Needed From More Tests, Costs, Stress”

See http://www.fairtest.org/why-you-can-boycott-testing-without-fear for “Why You Can Boycott Standardized Tests Without Fear of Federal Penalties to Your School”

Disclaimer: None of the advice presented here is to be assumed to be legal advice. Please research thoroughly and be confident in your actions before you proceed.

The information presented here is endorsed by the Coalition to Defend Public Education (Providence, RI), United Opt Out/RI, RI BATs, Stop Common Core in RI, and the Collapse the Core Facebook groups.

Compiled by Wendy Holmes, Sheila Resseger, United Opt Out RI and United Opt Out

Contact information: Sheila Resseger [email protected]


Thank you Wendy and Sheila for your hard work and diligence in this important effort.