State sends mixed messages on Smarter Balanced test participation
As California schools prepare to administer Smarter Balanced tests aligned to the Common Core State Standardsthis spring, they face a quandary when notifying parents about the assessments.
State law requires schools to inform parents they have the right to opt their children out of the tests, which will be administered in math and English language arts to students in grades 3-8 and 11. But the federal No Child Left Behind law requires states to ensure that 95 percent of all students are tested – both statewide and districtwide.
Although the opt-out movement has not taken hold as strongly in California as in other states, California was among several states that received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education warning that failure to meet the participation requirement could result in the loss of federal funds. California’s statewide average met the requirement but 21 districts tested fewer than 95 percent of their students.
The new Every Student Succeeds Act will replace No Child Left Behind when it goes into effect in 2017-18. It will continue to require that 95 percent of students participate in the tests, but will allow states to determine what actions to take if districts fail to do so. The new law also requires districts that receive federal funding to annually notify parents of state laws allowing them to opt their students out.
“It leaves states like California jammed in the middle,” said Robert Schaeffer, spokesman for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest, noting that California is one of several states with a law that allows parents to opt out.
The seemingly contradictory requirements have led to mixed messages from the state and confusion among some districts about how to let parents know they can opt out of the tests, while ensuring that 95 percent of students take them. Last year, the state posted a template test notification letter for districts on its website, which informed parents about the tests, but failed to mention their opt-out rights.
This year, the state again intends to omit opt-out information from its template letter, which it plans to post on its website in the next few weeks, said Peter Tira, California Department of Education spokesman, in an email.
“We do not include language in our sample letter about parents’ ability to opt out because we want to encourage as much participation as possible,” Tira said. “The state has been required by federal law to meet a 95 percent participation rate, which we exceeded this past year.”
Schaeffer was surprised that California’s template letter for districts to parents did not include opt-out language.
“At best, that’s inconsistent and it’s really questionable whether the state is failing to comply with its legal responsibility,” he said. “It’s like telling State sends mixed messages on Smarter Balanced test participation | EdSource: