Sandra Stotsky was responsible for the development of standards, assessments, and teacher tests when she was an official in the Massachusetts Department of Education in the 1990s. She has since become an outspoken critic of the Common Core standards.
In this article, she argues that parents should ignore attempts to bully them into taking the state tests. She says that opting out of mandated tests is a civic duty. I don’t agree with her that the money spent on the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act was wasted. In my book “Reign of Error,” I showed that there has been dramatic improvement in the scores of black and Hispanic students since the early 1970s, when the federal testing (National Assessment of Educational Progress) began. But I agree with Stotsky that the millions and billions spent on testing has been wasted.
She writes:
“If Common Core’s standards and tests are, as it is claimed, so much better than whatever schools were using before, why not use them only for low-achieving, low-income kids and let them catch up? Why can’t Congress amend ESSA to exempt students already at or above grade level in reading and mathematics and target ESSA funds to curriculum materials, teachers, and tests for just the kids who need a boost? That’s just the beginning. Maybe a different use of federal money is also needed.”
– See more at: http://newbostonpost.com/2016/03/16/opting-out-a-civic-duty-not-civil-disobedience/#sthash.RtytITBa.dpuf
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“In my book “Reign of Error,” I showed that there has been dramatic improvement in the scores of black and Hispanic students since the early 1970s, when the federal testing (National Assessment of Educational Progress) began.”
Parents of color please note that the upward trend in these grade-span scores (using reasonable exams) was brought to an end (flattened) with advent of NCLB and the over-emphasis on annual testing.
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I refused the PARCC tests last year for my then 8th grade daughter. Her peers have recently – at the end of February – received their PARCC results from tests given in March of 2015. That is almost a full year to get the results!
This stuff is garbage. OPT OUT.
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To change how the feds spend money, America must trash Citizens United, dramatically, reform elections and replace the current elected govenrment and come up with a rational list of candidates to vote for instead of too many psychopathic nut cases.
In fact, there should be a test to identify psychopaths and then deny them the right to run for public office and the right to vote. In addition, there should be a psychopath tax for billionaires. If brain scans and a DNA test reveal a bilionare is a psychopath, their tax is 90% or higher on their gross wealth with no loopholes and if caught hiding money in offshore accounts, an automatic life sentence in a Middle East prison (in ISIL or Taliban held territory) after all their wealth is confiscated.
I’ve read that it is estimated that only 1% of the population are psychos so removing them from wealth and power would most likely make the world a better place.
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To opt out is essential but to avoid giving parents and kids something to opt in to is unethical and irresponsible.
On the issue of treating poor kids and low scorers differently so they can “catch up” gives the impression that this is a race and not education. And “catch up” is still based on a test. I wonder if those “on level or above” would do as well if they had to demonstrate learning. Maybe the last would become first.
Kids blossom at different times and we never know when genius will unfold. Yes we must give more resources to those who need us the most. However, those “on level or above” are not challenged.
The test, however, simply draws kids away from real learning into an artificial world. This is not an accident. It allows those of privilege a fake advantage and when those without privilege enter the real world, they have learned nothing of value.
As to the test scores in the 70’s, they are still artificial tests. Don’t embrace tests when they are to our advantage and reject them when they are not. NO TEST IS WORTH A PILE OF DOO DOO!
Where is the vision for the future? I will attend conferences that have a vision for the future, not one that just whines.
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I agree. In addition to the tests being useless, the inordinate amount of time spent on them is wasted. Instead of learning a new skill or something interesting and exciting, our students get to fill in bubbles so a machine can rate and rank them. How tragic!
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Unfortunately, Professor Stotsky’s article also says this:
” If Common Core’s standards and tests are, as it is claimed, so much better than whatever schools were using before, why not use them only for low-achieving, low-income kids and let them catch up? Why can’t Congress amend ESSA to exempt students already at or above grade level in reading and mathematics and target ESSA funds to curriculum materials, teachers, and tests for just the kids who need a boost?”
No- our most disadvantaged students are the ones who can LEAST afford to suffer experimental, unproven educational fads.
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‘ “If Common Core’s standards and tests are, as it is claimed, so much better than whatever schools were using before, why not use them only for low-achieving, low-income kids and let them catch up? Why can’t Congress amend ESSA to exempt students already at or above grade level in reading and mathematics and target ESSA funds to curriculum materials, teachers, and tests for just the kids who need a boost? That’s just the beginning. Maybe a different use of federal money is also needed.” ‘
No! While I understand the purpose for making this initial statement, I certainly do not want anyone to take it seriously. We already know that students who live in lower socioeconomic communities and attend public schools with limited resources do poorly on these tests. Why limit the tests to the kids who are most in need of the broad curriculum and ample resources that they are denied? I know she goes on to talk about targeting ESSA funds to these communities, but if the tests are the measure of success does anyone have any doubt as to how those resources will be used? Instead we should move to the last suggestion in this quote and consider how federal money can best be used to support these struggling schools.
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I agree with caplee68 “Kids blossom at different times and we never know when genius will unfold. Yes we must give more resources to those who need us the most.”
How well I remember a non-English speaking student assigned to me. His classroom teacher had him tested by a psychologist who spoke his language. It appeared to her that the student was mentally challenged. He was assigned to me to see if I could find any ray of hope.
His “silent period” was extending into weeks until one day he uttered one word. From that word I knew he understood. From a non-speaking and reading student he progressed into a phenomenal reader ending the year reading at the beginning of third grade level.
His parents didn’t speak English but I still solicited their help. I asked them via a translator, to provide a time for their child to listen to taped stories I sent home with him. I asked him to read along with the storyteller until he sounded like the storyteller. In the meantime skills and strategies were developed at a pace he could master. Built into the adopted reading program were assessments along the way to verify to the building principal the students’ success. For further verification she had him read to her a story he never saw; comprehensive questions followed. She, too, was amazed at his progress. In today’s classroom, CC would have killed him.
This hang up on standardized testing has caused so much havoc. How about going back to accepting only certified teachers in the classroom. Give them academic freedom and no amass standardized testing until 12th grade. Give us back the days when learning was fun. Let the districts decide their needs.
Every child has a desire to learn until that desire has been thwarted.
The film of Ben Carson exemplifies where curiosity and drive can take a student when adults in his/her life support and encourage that thirst for knowledge.
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