Wondering if anyone has any insight. Due to DS's anxiety disorder and physical disabilities, I am looking to opt my son out of state standardized testing next year when it starts for him in 3rd grade(planning ahead). I can't imagine him sitting through all that testing (I heard they totally stress the kids out about it too), the stress of the testing would be more than I care for him to have to manage. I have found that the state law allows parents and children the right to “opt out” of standardized tests based on religious or philosophical beliefs. I have to write a request to the school district superintendent. I understand that DS's academic record or class options/schedules would not be affected. Does anyone know for sure? Has anyone here done it?

I'm sure this varies from school to school, district to district, and state to state. Where I live, if a parent opts out of state testing, the child's exam is given a zero and that score is counted. Since it's counted, it makes the district cranky when parents do this.

I'm guessing that parents who do this are labeled by the district as "problem" parents, and because of this, the district may be less than willing to accommodate other special requests (such as acceleration or differentiation) than it might otherwise be.

I do know that in our district state testing scores (along with other criteria) are used to decide who gets to take Algebra I in 7th grade. It would not surprise me if they used the scores for other placement decisions as well.

I don't know anyone who has opted out. However, it sounds like a good idea in your ds's case.

I've done what I could to minimize the affect of the craziness around the state tests. For instance, I've downplayed their importance. (Though, now in our state, they've become high stakes--they affect teachers' job security and kids who don't pass the 3rd grade reading EOG do not get promoted to 4th grade.) And I've kept ds home during the pep rally before the testing after the first one he experienced completely undid all the de-stressing I'd accomplished.

I will say that though ds doesn't like timed tests, they give plenty of time for the tests and he's never run out of time. However, it's a long test to endure (and now they have several) and with your ds's disabilities it could be painful.

And just to add to Kai's post, in our state the test scores are used to select kids for Duke Tip and the gifted program if they haven't already been identified.

Yes, this is what I am concerned about ... This and the anxiety. Ds would do well (he really is far ahead in reading and math) - it's just the toll it would take on him would be a lot, at least at this young age. He's already in gifted. I'm not sure what DUKE Tip is?

I may delete this fact (I get nervous about school finding my posts sometimes) but I'll add, for now, I am in PA... If that helps

Hmm so far it looks like in order to graduate HS in our district they need to take them... but DS's is only in 3rd grade. (I actually think/anticipate he'll be fine with them at an older age, I just don't want him to have to go through it in 3rd grade.)

We have practice state tests this year. They count for nothing, but they are given to students to get them "used to" doing the state tests.

So far, the state tests kind of count for nothing. They are not tied to the teacher's evaluation, they are not tied to funding, they don't go towards gifted program placement. If the school does very poorly as a whole, the school may lose it's charter. But that doesn't look very likely, as they compare to the surrounding public school district. Our school routinely does 20-30 points better than the surrounding district.

Of course, this may change. But I am planning to opt out of the practice tests this year. I also plan on opting out of all state tests until they start to count towards something tangible. So, DS7 will likely not take a state test here until the 7th-8th grade.

Been through the anxiety thing. We were homeschooling 3rd grade. He absolutely was not in the right place in third.

4th grade he was in school and there was some anxiety about it but he scored 3 and a 4 (out of 5,3 being proficient) and a 4 on the writing. But it was important to get that first one in. We had to go through one so that we could deal with it and survive and he was in a place that year to deal. If it had gone horribly wrong we would have known what to do better.

The next year he had 4s and a 5 (reading, math and science that year)....now he is in 8 th grade and he is a pro at them. Even got a perfect score in reading last year. He scoffs at how easy they are. But also his general anxiety has reduced to manageable levels...more like occasionally nervous rather than anxiety disordered.

Irena, they no longer require PSSAs to graduate - it has gone to the Keystones (which is a huge mess). I have never heard of a kid opting out of the standardized testing. It is no big deal, though I hear that some districts try to make it a big deal.

I don't think that the testing really takes that long. My kids and most of their friends finished the testing in less than half the time given. Some teachers let them read when they finish early.

The plan with the Keystones was to have ten tests, and a student would need to pass at least six to graduate. They have had a tough time rolling out the tests, and there are only three available now - Algebra, Bio & English. DD Class of 2016 needs to pass those three, but I suspect that by the time your son (and my 4th grader) reach HS, the Keystone stuff will be figured out (or they'll revert to PSSAs).

I hear they make it kind-of a big deal in my district. Haven't experienced it first hand yet myself though.


Hmm this is good to know. I know he's well above grade level in both reading an math so I know he'd probably do well... I just worry it would 'painful' physically and psychologically for him. However, maybe he'd be fine with it. It just seems like such an unnecessary thing to put him through.

You're right. They give plenty of time for the test. I meant that ds was finished in half the time allotted and was not allowed to do anything but draw or rest his head when he was finished. So sitting there and being quiet for another hour or more was long.

Ugh - either way would be bad for my DS .! Loll

I witnessed the state testing in the school I worked in last year. Lots of anxious kids coming out of class for the bathroom every half hour! The school made such a big deal of it and prepped the kids for months. Probably right after the new year started, for testing in March or April. Craziness. They even had an assembly before the test in an attempt to get the kids all pumped up about it (or put the pressure on).
DS had a page on his IEP where the school checked a box to take it the normal way, take it with modifications, or not take it at all, so I know there are options here if a kid has an IEP. I would ask about it. That page wasn't filled out for DS because he's only in first grade.

We're not here yet, but I've saved this page. It has info on all the states:

http://unitedoptout.com/

In response to the original question, here's a semi-relevant anecdote...

I called my twins' (public) middle school a few weeks ago to inquire how to opt my kids out of an administration of the Explore Test to all 8th graders (since they had taken the test thru Numats in 4th grade and were already pushing the ceiling then). This was the first time we had opted out of testing at this school, but when I spoke to the school administrator, he indicated that they have a few families opting out for every standardized test administration, and he specifically said this was the case for the annual state tests. I imagine the same would be true at most public schools.

I would not have my children opt out of standardized tests without a strong reason. Teachers' grades are not standardized. Your child may be getting 4's on a 1-4 scale, but you don't know fraction of students are getting 4's. (I think report cards at all level, including college, should provide information about the class distribution of grades.) Scores on state level tests provide comparative information.

My middle child likes working on released MCAS math tests at home, both at his grade level and above. He sees the latter, especially, as a challenge. Each test has a variety of problems, unlike many other tests students take.

You also don't know what fraction of students deserve fours, and data without context is absolutely useless.

Irena, I haven't read all of the previous responses, and we're in a different state, so my advice may be completely useless to you, but fwiw, I think I'd wait to think this through until next year, simply because you'll have some more time to see how the test prep etc unfolds. I realize that you'll need lead time to opt out, so definitely go through that process of figuring out what will be required, but I'd leave the actual decision for awhile. This is why - just based on our situation in our state - which of course, is probably entirely irrelevant for you!

* Our state testing is really not terribly stressful compared to other types of tests my kids have taken (TerraNova etc). It also is not very difficult at all - my dysgraphic ds who had extreme challenges with written expression *still* scored one point shy of advanced (without any accommodations) on his first round of state testing in 3rd grade. (Note: hopefully your state's tests are a little bit more challenging and meaningful - seriously!)

* Our school district does use the state testing for some types of academic placement - it's not the only criteria but it's part of it.

* Our school district adds in nationally normed standardized tests as the students progress in grade levels (TerraNova, ITBS) - and those tests are required for placement into gifted programs in secondary school. They are tests that are longer and more potentially stressful (or have been for my kids)... and they are the tests that count the most. I think the state testing was helpful for my kids to just get used to the general idea of standardized tests (in a group setting) before they had to take the TN etc. I also think it was helpful for my ds starting in 4th grade to get used to taking tests with his accommodations (he had them starting in 4th, didn't have them in 3rd). He was very self-conscious about feeling different at that point in time, and it was helpful for his first experiences with having a "quiet" room (room with less students) and word processor.

Best wishes,

polarbear

My DD was tested "individually" by the school-- their decision, not mine.

"Special arrangements" were made so that a teacher proctored the tests in a safe and supportive setting.

This was written into my DD's 504 plan all along, btw.

IMO, you should work out accommodations (whatever you and they decide they need to be) in order to have him participate as appropriate.

DD never found the tests themselves at all stressful-- we emphasized to her that she had to take them seriously because they mattered to the school, but that her performance didn't matter a bit TO HER.

The individual testing meant that she took only as much time as required (as noted above-- it wasn't much)-- and got them out of the way during the 'first' testing window of the year, then didn't have to fuss with them the rest of the year.

Easy. Once we used the 504 plan to manage it.