You have the right to refuse the state tests.
Here is how you do it in New York.
For information about your own state, go to the website of United Opt Out.
Do you want to know why to opt out?
Here is a short summary. The tests now in use are tied to a cut score (passing mark) that guarantees that about 70% of all students will fail. The tests will be especially harmful to students with disabilities and students who are English language learners. But the harm extends far beyond those students.
The tests do not provide any useful information. They will tell you whether your child is a 1, 2, 3, or 4. What good is that? It will tell you what percentile rank your child is. What good is that? The test will not help your child or her teacher. It will label your school as a failure because of low scores (it is designed to produce low pass rates). If your school is labeled a failure, it will be set up to be taken over by a charter chain. You will lose your community public school because of the data produced by the test. The testing companies will make money. Your child will gain nothing. In fact, while taking the test online, the testing company will gather data about your child that will be mined for developing products.
Protect your child. Opt Out in 2016!
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé and commented:
Parents have the right to Opt their children out of damaging, flawed high stakes state tests, and here is how to do it.
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Excellent companion post to the video.
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Did you see the Quora interview with Success Academies…perhaps they will do one with you?
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The Board of Corinthian Colleges (recently fined $1bil. by a Calif. Court), included the CEO and President of AACTE. While Pres. Robinson does not list, in her AACTE bio, that dubious qualification, she does list her Bank Street College of Education President’s Medal of Honor. Bank Street (recipient, in 2015, of almost $2 mil. from the Gates Foundation, has as its President a 2008 (Eli ) Broad Superintendents Academy graduate. Bank Street’s President is also a fellow of the Pahara-Aspen Education Program, which was founded by Kim Smith, who was a “founding team member of Teachers for America and co-founder of Bellwether”. (Bellwether uses the term “human capital pipeline”). Smith “co-founded New Schools Venture Fund and, is on the Board of Rocketship”. The Pahara …website states its values, “Transforming public education through social entrepreneurship.”
Philanthropy Roundtable posted an article, co-written by Frederick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute and, an employee of a Gates-funded organization that states, “…reformers…declare ‘We’ve got to blow up the (university) ed schools.’ ” The authors then list an alternative for plutocratic control.
HOW DARE THESE people threaten the common good-public schools, which were created and paid for, by the 99%, for the children of the 99%?
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Excellent post, Diane, especially the last line!
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What Duane said.
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To me this is an important issue I wish NPE would raise in NC.
It hasn’t come up here. But it will.
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PLACE THE BLAME WHERE IT BELONGS
Testing season is just about upon us here in New York State. And contrary to what Albany and most media has been saying, change is not yet here. Not yet. Because saying we need to change and saying what needs to be changed, are a far cry from real and substantive change.
For those that believe we have to force parents into having their kids sit for the tests in order not to create a message that it’s okay to refuse life’s hard choices, I also think we have the power to easily rewrite the message.
We don’t have to abide by the narrative that it’s parents who are causing the problem. We don’t have to perpetuate the story that we’re teaching children the wrong message about obeying authority, following directions, or even about the value of testing. We can just as easily, if we choose to, describe what is happening as what happens in a democracy when people feel their government has overstepped its authority. This is a real-life application of lessons learned in Social Studies classes across the state and across the country.
We could teach our students that this is the lesson learned – “In a democratic society, people have to speak up to injustice – and actually have an obligation to speak up.” Just as we teach our students what to do in bullying situations. Bystanders have a role and an obligation to help the bullied. Victims need strategies and advocates, etc. This current response to testing is really that comparable.
I feel deeply and passionately that we have to be careful not to blame the victims. Blame needs to be laid squarely on the shoulders of the bullies – the policy makers who have the power to enact real change, right now. Today.
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Hi . Diana this is comment relate and new open school . Dady’s ..
Morrys . I’m so exited to put on top of the table . I’m sory , sincerence , modest comment . There is no one who knows how Chater’s School work in Hialeah . Is easy to prove and stop , pushing back those billionarys , andirnatinaly , I have no money , but I wish have a good back up no much money , enaff to by my self ( PRO -SE ) . MOST of Layers scare facing money lovers , money lovers and money before kids are criminals ready to do do what they need to don’t loss a penny and they reputation clean .
I beat . How can I teach someone how much I know , enaff . Question # 1 BIGEST county city’s in the nation ?
Top 10 most corrupts city’s ( County’s ) Nation wide ? I ‘ m a genies , 2 hangs help more than one . I have 2 hands . But I need a bunch to hold my proves .
I can , chalenge if some good listener . And ( requariment ) 100 % sure THAT CHARTER’S SCHOOL IS NOTHING BUT COMPANIES . DO I MAKE MY SELF CLEAR ?
MONEY IS ON THE TABLE , I’M THE MOST HATER PERSON IN THE CITY OF HIALEAH , THE MAYOR LOOK AT ME . EVIL WAY – .. VIST CONTACT . AS A DICTATOR , BY HE DO NOT MAKE QUIT WITH THAT WAY HE LOOK AT ME . THOSE POLICES WHO ARRASMENT ME , THEY KNOW , I TOLD THEM . CiTY OF HIALEAH EDUCATON ACADENY IS GOING TO CKOSE AS CITY OF HIALEAH FACE A POTENTIAL LAW SUE (!3/1 )!
THAT CHATER , POLICE AND MAYOR ( TRINITY … ESCCUSE ..
EVELS , HELLS ANGELS , THIS COUNTRY IS FRE OF SPEACH ( 1rts .. Amended ..I HAVE THEN ON CKECK MATE . I NEED SOME ONE WHO HOLD MY PROVE ( FULL HANDS ) . ANY PERSON HAVE A CHANCE TO WISH BEFORE TO DIE . MY IS CHECK MATE . THEN . BY THE GRACE OF GOD . PAIN IS ENEVITABLE , SUFERING OPTIONAL .
MY LAST DESIRE STOP HOW MUCH PRESION I HAVE , KIDS , MY KIDS ONLY NOT . I CARE ABOUT IT ANY KIDS , ARE INOFENSIVE AND I WANT , LIBERT AMERICANS KIDS , M. L. K . DIE FOR ? HE DIED BUT AFTER HE WISH …
AMERiCANS .. NEVER IGNORE A PERSON THAT BACK TO BACK INSISTENCE IS MORE EVERY DAY .
OPEN COMENTS ,
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In Memphis, TN, I spent one full month on trying to figure out if a possible refusal of test will affect my child’s grade and what she can do while the others are taking the test. I failed.
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