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Canton, Potsdam, Norwood-Norfolk superintendents say they won’t stop parents from keeping kids out of assessments

Posted 3/28/15

By CRAIG FRELICH Superintendents at Potsdam, Canton and Norwood-Norfolk schools say they won’t stop parents who want to keep their children from taking Common Core assessment tests in April and …

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Canton, Potsdam, Norwood-Norfolk superintendents say they won’t stop parents from keeping kids out of assessments

Posted

By CRAIG FRELICH

Superintendents at Potsdam, Canton and Norwood-Norfolk schools say they won’t stop parents who want to keep their children from taking Common Core assessment tests in April and May.

And at least one school administrator is concerned that pending legislation in Albany could encourage even more students to opt out, putting at risk whatever progress has been made on the issues around the tests.

Potsdam Central School Superintendent Pat Brady and the other superintendents do not challenge the rights of parents to express their dissatisfaction with the Common Core program by keeping their children from participating in the assessment tests.

But he is dubious of the proposed Common Core Parental Refusal Act under consideration in the state Assembly and Senate that would require schools to inform parents of their right to keep their kids from the tests.

“The Senate bill appears to place this issue farther out in the open by requiring schools to advise parents of this right,” Brady said.

“However, it is unclear how this will be accomplished and if the exams will be rendered meaningless if more parents exercise this right,” he said.

Norwood-Norfolk Central School Superintendent Jamie Cruikshank said he wants to study the proposal in the state Legislature more closely before committing to a position on it. “My fear is that this proposal may not be well thought-out because it appears to be coming at us quickly,” which could lead to “unintentional outcomes,” he said.

“Making quick decisions about laws often leads to confusion and misinformation.”

But while the parents have rights, “they, in turn, must understand that the school has an obligation to provide these exams,” Cruikshank said. That has not been negotiable, he said.

“As a result, we are obligated to provide the exams but respect parental rights as well.”

Provisions For Opting Out

If parents don’t want their children to take the tests, local schools will make provisions of one sort or another to have those students engage in work while others are taking the tests, and will protect those students from any sanction.

“When we’ve received a request from a parent to ‘opt out’ of the 3-8 exams we make sure that the child does not feel punished or singled out for any reason,” Cruikshank said.

“Upon written request we will provide an alternate location and academic activity for the child,” he said.

“We are bound as school officials to follow the guidance of the State Education Department with regard to administering the tests,” said Canton Central School Superintendent Bill Gregory.

“Canton will, however, provide an alternate educational setting upon receipt of a written refusal from the parent of a student stating their desire that the student not take a state assessment,” he said.

“NYSED’s position is that the tests are required by the federal government, are part of the instructional program, and there is not provision in law or regulation for a parent to opt their child out of the tests,” Gregory added.

That echoes the position of the state Education Department.

As this year’s round of tests for third- through eighth-graders is about to start, state education authorities reiterated their policy with this admonition on March 13: “The tests are required by the federal government, are a required part of the instructional program, and there is no provision in law or regulation for a parent to refuse the tests.”

60,000 Didn’t Take Tests

According to figures the state Senate is using, 60,000 students across the state did not take the tests last year.

“Though we encourage our students to take these state exams -- whose results help to benchmark the quality of our program and student progress in meeting state standards -- we recognize that parents do have the right to have their children refuse to take the tests,” Brady said.

So many kids did not take the tests last year because of backlash from many directions to the Common Core standards and their implementation in the state.

The next round of state assessment tests for school children starts in April, and the controversy over the ultimate worth of the tests and the necessity for children to take them has not waned.

The tests, used to assess the progress of students in meeting the federal Common Core standards, have been controversial because of their perceived difficulty over earlier tests and because of the difficulty of the Common Core education standards themselves.

There were objections about the emphasis placed on the results in measuring not only students’ progress but also teachers’ and administrators’ competence, and the disorganized and unrealistic rollout of the standards and the tests and the new teacher evaluation program all at the same time.

Those protesting the tests, and the preparation for them, also cite time taken from students and teachers in normal classroom instruction going toward “teaching for the tests.”

Some Improvement Noted

Simultaneous reduction in state aid, which resulted in layoffs of teachers and larger class sizes just as new standards were being applied and the results of instruction were being tested gave ammunition to the critics.

But Brady says he believes the overall situation has improved.

“Now we are three years into the process and through more training and exposure to the curriculum, our teachers, parents, and students have generally become more comfortable with the expectations of common core,” he said. “In my opinion, the tests have also improved over this period and we have worked to reduce the overall amount of testing that was part of the new teacher evaluation system.

“It is concerning that schools are being placed in the middle between the NYS Education Department’s efforts to raise student achievement and the state legislature’s response to the issues which have arisen with the new educational reform movement,” Brady said.

“In the final analysis, regardless of what laws are passed, we will continue to work with all stakeholders to provide the highest quality of education for our students.”