Too much pressure on kids? Parents reject state tests
When sixth-grader Elliot Corbin talks about taking the state's standardized exams, words like "stress" and "afraid" and "nervous" flow freely from her lips.
"My stomach would hurt and I would have headaches, and I would be worried about the test days before it actually happened," said Elliot, 12, recalling the times she'd taken the now-retired MEAP exam.
These days, though, Elliot is only excited. When the state debuts a new exam for elementary and middle school students this spring, Elliot and sister Quinn, 10, a fourth-grader, will stay home with their mom, Deborah Corbin of Mt. Clemens, who for the first time is opting her kids out of the exams.
They're part of a movement gaining traction nationwide as parents unhappy with the pressure and anxiety that comes with high-stakes exams — particularly the exams based on the rigorous Common Core State Standards — are rising up to say "enough."
In Michigan, elementary and middle school students are tested every year in grades 3-8 in math and language arts, and in additional subjects at other grade levels. High school students are tested in the 11th grade. But that's on top of tests required by local school districts.
The opt-out movement is fueling a debate in Michigan and beyond. Critics worry kids are being over-tested and say schools have been overtaken by testing. Testing advocates, meanwhile, say it's crucial to holding schools accountable and for gauging how well students are learning. The debate has heated up this year as Congress works to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, the federal law that has been blamed for the increased focus on testing.
The movement's impact could be significant. Federal rules require 95% of students in a school to be tested. If too many opt out, a school could be identified for improvement — and face sanctions — a point officials at the Michigan Department of Education Some Michigan parents saying no to state testing:
