Parents' access to test booklets and answer sheets

[Gloria Pipkin <gpipkin@I-1.NET>]

A couple of weeks ago I posted to this list the news that the school board
attorney in Pinellas County, Florida (St. Pete area) had issued a memo (in
response to a parent's request) that relied on federal and state laws in
concluding that parents have the right to examine their children's test
booklets and answer sheets.

This week we learned that (surprise, surprise) the DOE had denied the
request, citing exemptions from our state's open records laws but ignoring
the laws cited in the Pinellas memo.

I know that Nance Confer and others are collecting information on which
states allow parental opt outs, and that some states publish released items,
but I have no idea which states, if any, recognize parents' rights to their
children's tests.   If yours does, please let me know.

I've been in touch with the Pinellas parent (who, coincidentally, is
director of the NEA Uniserv unit in that area), and she tells me that she's
consulting an attorney on Monday and will keep us posted.  I've also
contacted the parent/attorney in Minnesota who succeeded in forcing
Minnesota to let him see his daughter's math test after she received a
(false) failing score on the math graduation test.  (I emailed him at his
office late yesterday; no response yet).  Teresa (or other knowledgeable
folk), is granting access now SOP for Minnesota, or must each parent battle
independently?

Yesterday I had a call from another parent whose son failed the tenth grade
reading FCAT last spring and must take it again in October.  She requested
help from the school in preparing him to retake the test and was given
nothing but a test prep book by her son's English teacher (who didn't know
who her son was).  The student has a 3.2 GPA and has never made below a C in
his life.  If he fails the test again next month, he'll face a higher cut
score on the next administration, in the spring.  (Is it Juanita who
deserves credit for "Raising the bar and then dropping it on kids' heads" or
something close?)

We're looking for suggestions, strategies, legal advice -- anything on how
to press the state on this point.  I appreciate any guidance you can offer.

Gloria
gpipkin@i-1.net

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