I am concerned about the intellectual growth of our students as well as the nurturing of their individual spirits. Steps for refusing standardized testing (other than Keystones). had a parental request for exclusion from the assessment., Although there is no Opting Out is a family decision surrounding the needs of the parent and child. And class sizes ballooned to 30, sometimes 35 and more students. To opt out, families must write a letter to the school principal or superintendent, stating the exemption. When you look at the. Refusal represents a defiant act The statewide tests are administered in grades 3 through 8 to assess reading, writing, math . Two weeks prior to the testing window, C%N~|@:k%6vy4_}cj2cG3wAr (O^b }zt@[V(vk5GXJD U: *|p `21hE) jr(,L6R:CG@p:q(wP\. 3 0 obj To opt your child out of these tests, write a letter to the superintendent or school principal letting them know that your child will not take part in the specific test (name the test) this year and ask that the school make arrangements for a productive educational . Public schools cannot refuse their presence. The testing purpose was focused on the child.". In no way is our decision to opt out of these high stakes tests a reflection of our perception of [SCHOOL DISTRICT] or the. x\[o6~G&J"@zn }hXJrwf(J"'N6.qf87^N>>F$HiK 1fUv|tGTH~m*_&4.o'$cjFOHB?>m"35.aAF))i2-]E@y)}q1M'ZUqU&?}lGi.{=4:BN&pP4@"C8! on the students part despite school personnels every effort to obtain compliance. exams must be made available for review by parents and guardians. Section State College Area. Testing irregularities should be reported to the PDE by emailing ra-ed-pssa-keystone@pa.gov. Your Phone Number . Furthermore, which teacher should we hold accountable for his score the math teacher at Colfax who does not even have him in school this year? During our conversation with her about this, she called our son over and said, I notice that you spend a lot of time looking out the window, like you were just now. Please arrange for [them] to have a productive educational experience during the testing period." Sample letters to opt out and other information about the process in Pennsylvania can be found hereor by going to unitedoptout.com. A parent/guardian may either write a letter or send an email to your school's principal and teacher. <> It is our hope that sometime in the near future our students can be rescued from these ill. conceived test-driven educational policies, and our schools and teachers will be free to teach children as they always have: with a heartfelt desire to see young children grow and develop intellectually to the best of their abilities. other apparent reason for student non-participation in the exam, this category We got a Parent Engagement Specialist. To me, this principle evokes Martin Luther Kings famous quote, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are all connected in an interdependent web of existence and the oppression and harm caused to other peoples children, causes harm to all of us. endobj While other students are in testing, those who have opted out can still attend school. Opt Out is a national movement in which participating parents, students and teachers rally against a federal education policy they say has distorted public education and corrupted the examination process. In order to establish this, the parent has to follow a specified procedure that involves (1) contacting the school administrator; (2 . This is the letter I wrote: We are writing today to formally inform the district of our decision to refuse to allow our daughter to participate in state standardized assessments for the 2013-2014 school year. Reporting Violations. But when he was in second grade, we were told his DIBELS score was too low to allow him to take an accelerated math class. Simply pick the form or package of legal documents to download, print and fill out. At the same time there are also California regulations governing what educators can say to parents and families. Mr. Parker also examined the ways in which high-stakes-tests are used to exclude students from high-quality courses and programs. Title 22 Chapter 4, section 4.4 (d)(5) I am hereby exercising my right as a reasons. . Dawn, we are writing an article on how the PBA doesnt comply with Pa Ch 4 regulations. 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. 0:40. My children are not of Keystone age yet but I am part of an Opt Out movement in Pittsburgh. Parents can opt their children out of these tests. This is an invalid use of data, violating a basic principle of assessment, since those tests were never designed to measure teacher effectiveness. Parent Confidentiality Agreement that simply states they will not share what is on the test with anyone. (Parents must view each test from which they want to opt-out their students, e.g., to opt-out of the PSSA ELA, Math, and Science, a copy of all three tests must be viewed.) If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. If your school requires the student to personally refuse the test, give your child a note to read to the proctor that says something like this: "My [mother, father or guardian] told me not to take this test." Sample Opt-Out Letter. Superintendent reviews the request - this request cannot be denied. This is the only basis for a parent or guardian to excuse Why I had't let their son thus the PSSA Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2) Briefly state WHY you are refusing the tests: My refusal to participate in (name the tests) is . This is clearly evident when schools use standardized, normed tests, which force all students into a bell curve, guaranteeing that a large proportion of the children will, While advocates claim that high-stakes-testing will hold teachers and schools accountable for student learning and therefore promote equity, it often does the exact opposite by reinforcing inequality. We use cookies to improve security, personalize the user experience, enhance our marketing activities (including cooperating . Instead, administrators and teachers makes lists of bubble students who are close to the passing mark and focus their energy on moving these students up to proficient. The students with the most needs, struggling at the very bottom, are passed over: they are neglected, perpetuating what has probably been the whole of their educational experience. This letter provides detailed information regarding the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) as well as the required opt out procedures. Write a letter or email to your principal letting them know that you intend to "refuse" the tests on behalf of your child. Hes not reading 100 words per minute.. In what way would this assess his actual learning this year? Opting your child out of MCA exams is a simple procedure. Hello families! This year there will be 3 sections of English Language Arts, 2 sections of Math, and 2 sections of Science (only for students in grades 4 and 8). Just like the name, limit Holdem allow you to bet with the set amount and you can't go over. beliefs and wish their student(s) to be excused from the test, the parents/guardians must provide a written request that states the objection to the Superintendent. Every Pennsylvania student in grades 3 through 8 must take the PSSA and is assessed in English Language Arts and Math. write a letter requesting to "opt your child out" you will receive a letter stating they cannot honor your request because there is no opt out clause. I believe in real learning and more learning time for our children. Russian. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Chinese (Traditional) Haitian Creole. To opt out of the class action lawsuit you can submit an opt-out letter to the settlement administrator at the address below by May 28, 2013. Vietnamese If fewer than 95% of the students in a given school or district take the test (based on 3-year rolling averages) that school cannot make AYP. In this post, Ramey provides her religious reasons for opting her children out of the tests. **Students scheduled to graduate in 2019 or later may be required to complete a Project Based Assessment if parents opt them out of the Keystones. My son is 10 soon to be 11 and is with PA cyber school. This online t oolkit has lots of information and sample wording. So if our students who need the most help never get that help, where is the equity? He gave the example of a young woman of color in his class right now with a 4.0 GPA one of the most well-rounded and motivated students Ive ever had who will be excluded from taking the advanced math and science courses she would like to take next year solely because of a test score. There are too many factors that influence a student's ability to answer the test questions correctly, and it is in no way an effective tool for determining how effective a teacher is. Parent provides written request Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). When hedge fund managers are pouring enormous amounts of money into local school board races across the country to stack the deck in favor of privatization? Where is the democratic process when parents and communities no longer have a voice in public education and what is best for their children? Schools labeled as failing on the basis of student test scores are often targeted with other reforms that rarely help children. 3,030 students took the test, 169 students opted out . Whats more, Mr. Parker argued that if high-stakes-tests are meant to indicate which students need support so teachers can help them, they are miserably failing this most basic task. There are NO other exceptions. They don't need to list their religion, and the state isn't allowed to ask. They don't need to list their religion, and the state isn't allowed to ask. Send Me My Opt Out Letter Should be Empty: Now create your own Jotform - It's free! <> The only reason to opt a child out of the PSSA is that you, as a parent, have a RELIGIOUS objection to the test. News never stops. the Other category, complete the Non-Assessed Students section by marking A parent simply states "because of religious beliefs." Once a parent reviews the PSSA, this is all that needs to be included in the letter: On [Date] I had the opportunity to review the PSSA test and pursuant to Pennsylvania Code Title 22 Chapter 4, section 4.4 (d)(4) I am hereby exercising my right as a parent to have my child, [Name] excused from PSSA testing because of religious beliefs. If the student is excused from the Specific details to Opt Out of PSSA and Keystone exams are shown below. For example: "Dear , I have asked my child, [name], not to take part in the [name the exam] this year. refusal to participate at the time of testing. You might be asked to also contact the school's testing coordinator. I could stop my letter right there, as that is all that is legally required by the state in order to excuse our children from testing. Then we lost the curriculum, lost the extra time and days, and lost the parent specialist. Parents of these students have the same right as parents in any Pennsylvania public school to opt their child out of testing for religious reasons, according to Title 22 Chapter 4, Section 4.4 (d . One of the stated goals of No Child Left Behind was to combat the soft racism of low expectations. But instead it has created a vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies. stream That is because of the consequences for schools and districts of NCLB's "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) requirements. As we approach the start of state standardized testing next week, we wanted to share some information about opting-out of the testing for your child. 1 0 obj Arnold is leading an effort to get parents to opt their children out of the PSSA tests. Opting-out is the process of refusing to participate in state and district testing programs for grades 3-8. * School Name * Principal Name * Your Name (Parent/Guardian) * First Name Last Name . We are all harmed by allowing oppression and oppressive systems to continue. % After review of the PSSA, if a parent or guardian chooses to opt his/her child out of participation in the PSSA because of a conflict with religious belief, the parent or guardian must make such a request in writing to the district superintendent. The 2022 PSSA testing window begins Monday, April 25th. To summarize, these are some of the high-stakes for students: With all of that evidence that high-stakes testing is hurting students, changing their schools for the worse, and reducing real learning, why are we still giving so many standardized tests? is provided for the rare exception. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. You will be sent a letter from the building principal with details of the dates and times to schedule an appointment to view the test (s). We are not all the same. Most of these principles are basic moral and philosophical statements shared by all of the worlds major religions. We got an Americas Choice curriculum that was supposed to solve everything and added extra periods of reading. Other.. If children now label themselves with their own test scores and literally believe themselves to be below basic, where is our compassion? State law allows Pennsylvania students to cite a religious exemption from testing. Some parents are opting their children out of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams. endobj endobj Of course, the strategy you might use is also different. Note that since first-time grade 10 students as well as students in grades 3-8 are required to participate in MCAS testing, there is no form to be used to "opt out" of testing. The process includes submitting letters to . In fact, the Value Added Model (VAM) used to evaluate teacher effectiveness, assumes that student test scores are the result of a specific teacher, independent of all other factors. Worse, the relentless high-stakes-testing has served to re-inscribe inequality. Stay up to date on the news from Silicon Valley, and how to take back control of your data and devices. We could test every few years, instead of every year. No. This opt-out form is valid for the 2021-22 school year, but you may revoke your . The most notable rare exception is student Guardians have the right to withdraw their child from the standardized test under the PSSA Chapter Four Rules two weeks before testing, according to the state . He is now several years ahead in math and takes his class at the high school each morning, before returning to Colfax for the rest of the day. 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