t’s not clear that the Department of Education previewed or even actually read the words in a document intended to dissuade parents from opting their children out of state standardized tests.
While activists in Tennessee and around the country are encouraging the Biden Administration to grant testing waivers, parents are not waiting and are taking matters into their own hands.
In fact, when one parent recently indicated to a school principal that their child would be “opting out” of state testing in 2021, they were provided with a one page document from the Tennessee Department of Education explaining that opting-out is not an option.
Here’s that letter:
Opting Out of Annual Assessments
October 2020 Updated 10/19/2020
What is the Purpose of Annual Assessments?
Annual assessments are critical to ensure that all students are making strong academic progress. In Tennessee, one measure of student, school, and district academics is through the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), which are tests aligned with our state’s academic standards, outlining what students are expected to know, guiding educators as they design their lessons and curriculum. As Tennessee’s teachers work to equip all students with the knowledge and skills they need, we have to ensure that we can identify any major gaps in students’ learning and find variations in growth among different schools – both so we can strengthen support in places that need it and learn from educators and students who are excelling.
Results from TCAP tests give both teachers and parents a unique feedback loop and big-picture perspective to better understand how students are progressing and how to support their academic development. This yearly academic check-up is the best way to see how all students in Tennessee are doing, and it is one key measure through which we learn if are meeting our responsibility to prepare all students for college and the workforce. Because of the importance of annual assessment, we believe it is crucial for all students to take all TCAP tests each year.
May parents opt their students out of testing?
State and federal law requires student participation in state assessments. These CONTINUE READING: Did They Even Read This? – Tennessee Education Report