More parents see standardized tests as harmful
Parents Can Opt Out - United Opt Out National
Arizona parents opposed to standardized testing have a new champion in state Rep. John Ackerley, a Sahuarita Republican.
Ackerly is sponsoring a bill to let parents opt their kids out of statewide assessments — something many already do, asserting the testing is harmful, although strictly speaking, they are violating the law.
The bill not only formally allows opting out, it mandates a school’s grade will not be harmed, as it is now.
“There are going to be parents who have their students not take the test for whatever reason and right now their decision to do so pits them against the school,” said Ackerley. “It sets them up for a fight.”
HB 2246 was approved by the House Education Committee but still needs to be approved by the full House and Senate. Supporters include new state schools chief Diane Douglas and Tucson Unified School District Superintendent H.T. Sanchez.
State law allows parents to withdraw a child only from learning activities or materials that question “beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion.” A succession of attorney general opinions say statewide achievement tests are neither learning activities nor materials, so parents may not refuse mandatory testing.
Schools are required to test 95 percent of students — a rule designed to prevent them from encouraging parents to keep children home who might not test well.
But today, many parents are taking that step without any encouragement, arguing the amount of testing children are subjected to is excessive and has become a form of bullying.
The number of traditional Arizona schools that failed to test 95 percent of students more than tripled from 2013 to 2014 — going from 19 schools to 62.
Because schools are not required to explain why they missed the 95 percent cut off, the Arizona Department of Education could not speculate on the reason for the rise, said spokesman Charles Tack.
Tack added Douglas is a supporter of parental choice.
“She supports what the bill is trying to do and looks forward to seeing if it gets through so we can ensure that we are protecting schools and not penalizing them as a result of parent choice,” Tack said.
In TUSD, while opting out is not pervasive across the district, Sanchez said some schools like More parents see standardized tests as harmful:
