Opting Out from Standardized Testing
(Editor's Note: Below is a must-read post from educator Will Richardson's blog, about his decision to opt his son out of the state test along with the public letter he sent to the NJ newspaper. There seems to be another stirring of the pot in the edu-blogsphere, with Chris Lehmann apoplectic about the speech by Jeb Bush from today's Education Innovation Summit w/numerous tweets relating to assessments and and standardized test scores; Lisa Neilson cross-posting about a NY teacher who opted out of standardized testing for his 3rd grade son, and two posts about automated essay grading from Bud Hunt (the Teacher) and Audrey Watters, with links below. Is the testing pot boiling or what?
C.J. Westerberg)
" . . . and because of the intention of state policy makers
to use the test in ways it was never intended to be used.
These concerns should be shared by every parent and community member who wants our children to be . . ."
- W. Richardson
to use the test in ways it was never intended to be used.
These concerns should be shared by every parent and community member who wants our children to be . . ."
- W. Richardson
Opting Out
by Will Richardson
Just wanted to share that next week while thousands of New Jersey school children will be subjected to the annual ASK standardized tests, my 12-year old son Tucker will not be among them. We made a formal request to opt out, which is our legal right in NJ, and he'll be staying home during the testing periods. (The absences are excused, btw.)
Wendy and I came to this decision after seriously considering the potential effects for the