This spring may be the biggest mass protest against standardized testing ever, and school officials are worried, according to Education Week.

Categories Testing

41 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

tutucker says:

March 4, 2014 at 12:55 am

United Opt Out has been instrumental in this movement. Here in Colorado, we have written letters, signed petitions, called people.
It is only in our actions of opting out that we have been able to make an impact. And we thank UOO for that.
When our side is outnumbered 3 to 1 on this panel and we still win the argument, we know they are in trouble!!
http://video.cpt12.org/video/2365189433/

LikeLike

Reply
Maxine says:

March 4, 2014 at 1:16 am

This is all amazing and you, Diane are the Education hero. Heard Ruth Conniff, the Editor of the Progressive Magazine, talking about the NPE Conference. Educators do indeed care about students and their education!

LikeLike

Reply
TC says:

March 4, 2014 at 2:05 am

More testing = less learning
It’s an equality in a system of finite resources.

LikeLike

Reply
Harlan Underhill says:

March 4, 2014 at 2:38 am

Let’s hope this civil disobedience grows. Perhaps parents will come to understand the fundamental coerciveness of government run education. Not of course what this blog wants them to learn, but either way, a worthwhile struggle. I wonder whether there is such a thing as libertarian education policy.

LikeLike

Reply
- Zak says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 6:25 am
  
  A libertarian is simply yesterday’s frustrated Republican. Unless policy directly benefits a party, they are not interested.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  - Harlan Underhill says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 5:42 pm
    
    Oh, I think that’s much too dismissive.
    
    LikeLike
- Alice in PA says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 6:37 am
  
  My understanding of the libertarian philosophy is that it is one of a hands off government whose only function is to protect lives and property. Therefore it seems to me that a libertarian education policy would not exist except in the general sense of it is up to the individual.
  My problem with this is the assumption of a world of equal access to knowledge and power. There are masses of people,by virtue of where they were born, without the power to actually make their own free informed choice because they spend their time and resources merely surviving. They have little control over their options/opportunities. There are other masses of people who, by virtue of where they were born, have the resources to make their own opportunities and influence/control most economic and educational facets of their lives.
  
  Therefore governmental functions should also include protection for and promotion of equal access to opportunity. Unfortunately our government, at all levels, is not doing this function and is instead promoting unequal access.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  - Bob Shepherd says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 6:58 am
    
    There are people, Alice, who understand that the child born into extreme poverty would not be free in the standard-issue Libertarian utopia, that the shackles of that initial poverty make a cruel joke of the purported freedom of such a system.
    
    LikeLike
George Schmidt says:

March 4, 2014 at 4:37 am

Typical of Education Week, the propagandist for corporate “school reform,” this “report” leaves out Chicago’s massive Opt Out movement, which began to bare its teeth yesterday. On March 3, 2014, when the ISAT (Illinois State Achievement Tests) began in the city’s 500 (more or less, not current list is available from the nation’s third largest school system) elementary schools, we were able to report that more than 74 elementary schools had pupils and families who were opting out of the ISAT. The number of children opting out this year in Chicago is already in the thousands, and each day the number of schools and the number of children opting out will increase until the ISAT testing ends March 14. My two sons, one in 7th grade and one in 3rd grade, have been opting out all along, as have the two sons of Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey. Chicago’s More Than A Score is one of the best organized Opt Out coalitions in the USA with a vigorous Website.

So naturally Ed Week can’t find the Chicago story. This is almost as silly as the reporting they did when we began the Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012. It took them until about the 20th paragraph in their first strike story to quote a teacher or union leader. This nonsense is typical Ed Week.

LikeLike

Reply
- Duane Swacker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 3:59 pm
  
  Ed Week, the preferred magazine of GAGAers everywhere!!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Yvonne Siu-Runyan says:

March 4, 2014 at 5:01 am

FOLLOW THE $$$$$. HIgh-stakes testing is NOT VALID. This entire testing movement is for the RICH to control and rake money from our public school teachers.

LikeLike

Reply
GST says:

March 4, 2014 at 6:30 am

Action alert!
On the way out the door to my public school this freezing morning I was disheartened to hear the tail end of a discussion on Morning Joe on MSNBC lauding charter schools, attacking DeBlasio and the teachers unions, and announcing that Eva Moskowitz will be on the show tomorrow to state her case.
Diane, is it too late for you to book an appearance to make this an honest presentation?

LikeLike

Reply
- Duane Swacker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 4:00 pm
  
  “. . . to make this an honest presentation?”
  
  That one makes me chuckle!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
wgersen says:

March 4, 2014 at 6:58 am

I think the opt out movement needs to focus on developing viable alternatives to standardized testing. Otherwise they will be characterized as “anti-accountabilty”. And they COULD use the CCSS and “big data” to help them. http://waynegersen.com/2014/03/04/opt-out-david-vs-testing-goliath/

LikeLike

Reply
- NYS Teacher says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 11:16 am
  
  Independent peer review.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
- Duane Swacker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 4:01 pm
  
  “And they COULD use the CCSS and “big data” to help them”
  
  Please explain how.
  Thanks!!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  - wgersen says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 5:57 pm
    
    Here’s a short explanation:
    If we want public school diplomas in ALL districts in ALL states to serve as proof that students mastered skills we agree are essential, we need something like the CCSS… otherwise kids in TX will believe dinosaurs and men lived on earth at the same time and kids in some districts or some states will get a diploma that is worthless… We COULD use the existing CCSS— which, “reformers” protests notwithstanding is a de facto national curriculum— as a framework for teachers to build on to develop an organic “wiki-curriculum” that would be the basis for defining what EDUCATORS expect students to know and be able to do in order to earn a diploma.
    
    The possible uses of “big data” require more space than is available here (and more knowledge of algorithms than I possess)… but if Pandora can identify with fairly eerie consistency what kind of music I like I think it is possible that some kind of learning program could be designed to format lessons in a fashion that match the learning styles of individual students… We’ve unwittingly made a deal to trade our personal preferences in order to gain access to the “free” internet and those preferences result in marketers developing personal profiles on each of us who take advantage of the resource… This kind of “profiling” could be used to help us engage students.
    
    I believe we’re missing the boat on curriculum development and technology applications. We’re using the CCSS and technology to prepare kids for standardized tests that reinforce the early 20th century model for schooling that batches and compares students in age-based cohorts. We COULD be using those same tools to individualize instruction to ensure that each student given sufficient time can meet the expectations educators set so that when they leave school they can find their way in the world. We have the capacity to have time be a variable and learning be the constant instead of the other way around.
    
    LikeLike
  - Duane Swacker says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 6:25 pm
    
    Thanks,
    
    And quite interesting. I guess I don’t share in your enthusiastic embrace of technology in the teaching and learning process. That technology that you suggest “COULD be using those same tools to individualize instruction” already exists. It’s called the teacher who along with the parents, if given the time and resources could do that.
    
    I am also a user of Pandora, am listening right know to an Allison Krause “station”. But the songs that are picked by Pandora have to be entered and classified by humans so that the algorithm can pick and choose what might be acceptable. I wouldn’t call it “eerily consistent” in doing so. The amount of human time and effort that is put in on the front end results in fairly consistent results.
    
    LikeLike
  - Bob Shepherd says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 10:47 pm
    
    The CC$$ in ELA is amateurish educratese. The last thing we need to do is to try to fit curricula into that Procrustean bed.
    
    LikeLike
First Grade Teacher says:

March 4, 2014 at 7:29 am

Just in for the war on test prep, a new children’s book: Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue!
At McQuarrie Middle School, the war against the FunTime Menace—aka test prep—wages on. Our heroes have one battle under their belts, and they’ve even found a surprising ally in Jabba the Puppett. But to defeat the Dark Standardized Testing Forces they’re going to need an even bigger, even more ……

LikeLike

Reply
Chiara Duggan says:

March 4, 2014 at 7:46 am

I’m still not ready to opt my 5th grader out. I can’t get past the idea that he should have some sense of completing the thing after prepping for it for weeks. I would want to complete it if I had prepped for it. I also struggle with the notion of telling him to disregard what his teacher tells him to do. He (mostly) trusts his teachers, I (mostly) think they’re worthy of his trust, and I don’t want to get between that. I’m just not convinced this is the best idea for him, for this child. In my experience with his three elder siblings, middle school is just fraught with all sorts of competing pressures and anxiety for kids. I think it’s worse than high school. I’m afraid I’d be just adding to that push-pull.

I do tell him we (his father and I) don’t put much stock in the tests, and that he would be better off concentrating on his grades if he’s seeking a measure, because I honestly think his grades are a better assessment of what he knows.

I completely respect anyone else’s decision to opt out, however. I’m just not convinced.

LikeLike

Reply
- Louisiana Purchase says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 8:49 am
  
  I began opting my children out after my then 5th grader had an enormous problem with a test. It was a state-mandated writing test, and he was so stressed about it that he didn’t sleep well for several days. He took the 90-minute test and we thought he was done. Then, several days later, without parental knowledge or consent, he and several of his classmates were pulled out of class to retake the test. The computer had lost their tests. I was horrified. That was what did it.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
- Momoffive says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 8:56 am
  
  Just curious if you have taken the sample test online? I’ve taken the Smarter Balance english test for fifth grade. It was very long, poorly written, and seemed to test computer skills over subject content. In California students will NOT receive scores on the field test this year, but even if they did I would still opt my kids out.
  
  When you opt out the message is sent to the school district: Get rid of the test AND the test prep, and get back to teaching history, geography, science, literature, grammar, art, and all the other subjects CC$$ has cut out.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  - Chiara Duggan says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 10:18 am
    
    I haven’t taken the sample test online, no.
    
    He’s generally not upset about standardized tests, although he tells me some of the kids are. His school doesn’t do the pre-test rallies or any of the rest of that nonsense, so I’m grateful for that. They don’t over-play it or make it the most important thing.
    
    Ohio did adopt the ed reform fad of The Third Grade Reading Guarantee, and he tells me the third graders are scared about that. Ohio adopts all ed reform fads, because the adults in power here seem incapable of saying “no” to any consultant who wanders in the door at the statehouse. I do hate the thought of third graders being terrified about a test. It just sucks on so many levels.
    
    LikeLike
  - NYS Teacher says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 11:21 am
    
    They are TRAPS not TESTS, designed to TRICK, CONFUSE, and WEAR DOWN the test taker into FAILING.
    
    Parents do not let the corporate reformers use your child’s bogus test score to dismantle public eductaion.
    
    Starve the data beast – OPT OUT with a clear conscience that what you are doing is appropriate and proper civil disobedience.
    
    LikeLike
- tutucker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 10:38 am
  
  Chiara,
  I do get this and struggled at one time as well. But then I realized a few things. All of this testing is not a community decision but a decision by people who know nothing about our community.
  I’m also in the process of reading a biography on Martin Luther King Jr. in which he talked about unjust laws. He was in jail a lot of breaking these laws.
  And the author of the bio talks about some in the black community not being happy with Rosa Park’s stance.
  The purpose of this opt out is to starve the corporate machine of their data, save the teaching profession, and return to a learning environment that is best for our kids and not for those wishing to make money off of our kids.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  - Chiara Duggan says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 12:04 pm
    
    Thanks for the kind response.
    
    The other part of civil disobedience for MLK is that he took the sanction. He defied the rule but he took the punishment, which is why he was writing from Birmingham jail instead of his living room. So, if it were ME opting out, I would feel perfectly comfortable doing so, but I’m not ready for HIM to take the sanction of opting out (I don’t think the consequences will be onerous or anything, but it will be HIM opting out, not me).
    
    That’s part of my hesitation. Another part is more complicated so bear with me. One of the things that ed reform has done (I believe) is set teachers and students up as adversaries. One can see it in the court case in California, or in the schemes that peg teacher pay to student’s test scores. I think this is an really corrosive relationship for kids. I also think it’s deliberate. The way they have set this up is kids can’t trust their lazy, self-interested teachers so must “escape” their “failing” schools and run to ed reformers, who are the only adults looking out for them. This is of course not true, but they all use this oppositional frame- Michelle Rhee is “for kids” and Cuomo is “for kids” with the implication being public school teachers are not “for kids”. Sometimes they say it! “We put kids first!”. Because of course none of the rest of us do. We put kids LAST! 🙂
    
    I think this is a crazy (and really negative) way to look at the world, and I really resent that people I don’t even know are claiming to be the only adults who are “for” my kid. The adults he knows are “for” him and some of those adults are his teachers. That’s what’s true.
    
    He thinks his teachers are “on his side”. I do too, honestly. So, I want him to continue to believe that they are all a team at least thru 5th grade, along with his classmates, of course. 🙂
    
    LikeLike
  - tutucker says:
    
    March 4, 2014 at 12:33 pm
    
    As a teacher myself who is staying home with my kids right now, I understand that when you are in the situation it’s easy to let fear get in the way. I remember it all too well.
    But in the long run, this action helps our teachers and our students. I opt my child out of everything that is about collecting data and not helping inform teachers.
    And from my experience in Colorado the only way we are making headway is through opting out. Actions are scaring our Dept. of Ed.
    Good luck in your decision!
    One thing I do know, however, is that there is a lot of misinformation out there. And when we say one thing, they’ll twist it another.
    So instead, I just say. . . never mind. . I’m done playing your game and I’m stopping the data flow. Our children are not your business. We are accountable to our children and not to the corporate movement.
    
    LikeLike
Bob Shepherd says:

March 4, 2014 at 7:50 am

Starve the beast.

Opt out.

LikeLike

Reply
concerned mom says:

March 4, 2014 at 9:00 am

Unless my state gives parents an opt out option that includes alternative activities, how will the working parent be able to opt out? I would be happy if the alternative activity was cleaning the school for the day because that would actually have more value compared to spending a few hours bubbling in answers to questions his teacher isn’t allowed to see.

I asked and I was told opting out in my state is not an option.

LikeLike

Reply
- Alice in PA says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 11:05 am
  
  In my area, the students go to school, but d onot take the test. Instead, they do other things like go to the library or other rooms and read or do independent work – either that they brought or that a thoughtful teacher provides. I have heard some strong opt-out district have parents that come in and work with the students…and they get the proper clearnaces to do so.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
- Duane Swacker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 4:10 pm
  
  Missouri is a no opt out state. My response is this. Walk in the Friday before the testing window starts and withdraw your child so that you can home-school them. Then take the time and go do some fun stuff where the kids learn “naturally” because it’s a fun thing to do; go to an art exhibit, go to a science museum, go to a park, go fish, go float down the river and discover all the life around, there are many things. Then when they have sent the testing materials back re-enroll them in the school to complete the year. The state can’t count it against them as they weren’t enrolled at the time. Make sure you type up a transcript and give your children all “As” so that the school can’t punish them through some sort of grade manipulation.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
- WordsMatter says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 5:59 pm
  
  As a retired teacher, I would love to “opt in” and help out working parents brave enough to opt out. Not quite sure how to volunteer for that position, but I bet there are lots of retired teachers willing to volunteer and home school for a few days to support working parents.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Susan says:

March 4, 2014 at 9:05 am

There is a small opt-out movement in my district. I am torn about what to do. Most of the parents discussing opting-out are the middle class parents whose students get decent scores. Most of the schools in our district are “failing” even though we have some of the hardest working teachers I have ever seen. I don’t want my opting out to have a negative effect on these wonderful teachers and administrators who are trying their best to teach these kids while still complying with the law. If the schools don’t make their participation numbers or if their scores go down a lot because the higher scoring kids have opted out, what will this mean for the teachers and schools? I live in New York State in a city where 20% of our students are enrolled in charters. Poor scores are used by the charters to beat up on the publics.

LikeLike

Reply
- Duane Swacker says:
  
  March 4, 2014 at 4:11 pm
  
  Susan,
  See my reply to concerned mom above.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Gordon Wilder says:

March 4, 2014 at 10:22 am

Susan: Unless I am missing something, if your child does not take the test the absence of his/her score should not figure into the teacher accountability although it must be admitted that with the political landscape out there anymore, who knows. Check with you school to make sure and then do what is best for your child AND for the other children in your school.

LikeLike

Reply
Ken Watanabe says:

March 4, 2014 at 1:43 pm

Students have nothing to lose.

They don’t get paid single cent thrown into standardized tests.

KYTGB(Kiss Your Tests Good By).

LikeLike

Reply
tutucker says:

March 4, 2014 at 2:40 pm

United Opt Out has done amazing action but are in need of our help in their continued fight. At the end of March, UOO is holding an action conference to plan and put into action ways to create public schools that work for ALL kids.
If you can donate to the cause that would be great either through United Opt Out or through a group that is bringing Dr. Pasi Sahlberg to the event.
http://www.gofundme.com/3tfk94/

And for Dr. Sahlberg!
http://www.gofundme.com/64kf90

LikeLike

Reply
Bob Shepherd says:

March 4, 2014 at 10:48 pm

https://barrylane.bandcamp.com/track/i-write-the-tests-i-write-the-tests

LikeLike

Reply
tutucker says:

March 5, 2014 at 12:49 am

One group that has done an amazing job in this opt out movement is United Opt Out. They need your financial support as they get ready to take action at the end of March. Please donate!
http://www.gofundme.com/3tfk94/

And, Dr. Sahlberg will be here at the end of March for the United Opt Out event to help us understand what quality learning, equity and strong public schools look like. We are very lucky that he is willing to come for a much reduced price. Please help us get him here too. We promise to share with everyone what he has to tell us!
http://www.gofundme.com/64kf90

LikeLike

Reply
Russ Walsh says:

March 5, 2014 at 12:45 pm

May I offer an Anthem for the OPT OUT Movement. A rewrite of Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream.

http://russonreading.blogspot.com/2014/03/an-anthem-for-opt-out-movement.html

LikeLike

Reply