Re: More Fallout from the Testing Explosion

["Doug Selwyn" <dselwyn@antiochsea.edu>]

Students can still opt out (or theier parents can opt them out) in
Washington State, but of course that is more than frowned upon by
districts worried about the NCLB demands that 95 % of students take the
tests.  Teachers are certainly not encouraged to tell parents of their
legal options, but I don't think teachers in Seattle have met with
problems when they have communicated the optout.  May be more problems for
teachers in more rural districts but am not sure of that.

Doug Selwyn
Seattle


arn-l@interversity.org writes:
>Yeah,
>
>I would back down as a parent before I would stigmatize my child, but
>I'd love to see a group effort.  When I was teaching I suggested that
>all children of educators ought to opt out, but I was alone in the
>wilderness:) 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
>On Behalf Of Nancy Patterson
>Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 2:34 PM
>To: arn-l@interversity.org
>Subject: Re: [arn-l] More Fallout from the Testing Explosion
>
>Parents can opt out of the MEAP in Michigan, but they don't realize
>that. At one point the MEAP instruction book for teachers said that
>teachers were not allowed to tell parents that their children could opt
>out.  That language has apprently been removed.  But there is tremendous
>pressure on school districts to test every child.  If a certain
>percentage of the students in any given school do not take the test, the
>school or district can be penalized.  The state could withhold whatever
>the per pupil funding is for that child.
>
>Just recently a parent in Zeeland Michigan was told that her daughter
>might not be allowed into the next grade if the parent opted her out of
>the MEAP.  The district suggested that the girl just put her name on the
>test and do nothing else.  That way the district would have a test for
>the girl, at least.  The parents said no and ultimately the district
>backed down.
>
>Nancy
>
>
>Nancy Patterson, PhD
>Literacy Studies Program Chair
>College of Education
>Grand Valley State University
>920 Eberhard Center
>301 W. Fulton
>Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504
>616-331-6226
>patterna@gvsu.edu
>http://faculty.gvsu.edu/patterna
>>>> DullC@westerntc.edu 10/27/06 2:54 PM >>>
>How many of you are in states where kids can opt out of state mandated
>tests? We can here in Wisconsin and I intend to opt my kids out as they
>hit the exams and am hoping many of us will, particularly other middle
>class educated folks like me and my wife.
>
>I know in the short term it won't help my school's funding, but maybe in
>the long term it could help schools... 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
>On Behalf Of PRISCILLA GUTIERREZ
>Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 1:48 PM
>To: arn-l@interversity.org
>Subject: Re: [arn-l] More Fallout from the Testing Explosion
>
>Once again, I fail to see your logic.  I think I will take everyone's
>advice and just ignore you...
>
>
>
>Priscilla Gutierrez
>Outreach Specialist
>New Mexico School for the Deaf
>
>....change is inevitable, growth is optional...
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: ABurke5054@aol.com
>>Reply-To: arn-l@interversity.org
>>To: arn-l@interversity.org
>>Subject: Re: [arn-l] More Fallout from the Testing Explosion
>>Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:29:45 EDT
>>
>>
>>In a message dated 10/26/2006 9:46:26 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
>>pgutpgut@msn.com writes:
>>
>>...students who cannot identify nonsense words, sounds, or letters  
>>fast enough are labeled at risk and given intensive phonics
>>instruction  even if they already know how to read.   Hours of daily
>>instruction in reading are geared towards getting children to bark
>out 
>>sounds and words as fast as they can because so much is riding on
>whether
>>they can pass DIBELS or not....
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>____________________________________________________
>>We need better people in the schools.  What could be clearer?
>>
>>Art
>
>
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