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TA,SK ONE EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM

The first thing you and your classmates will need to do is to clearly explain the problem you have chosen. You will need to explain why the problem is important, which individuals or groups in the community are interested in this problem, and which part of government has responsibility for dealing with it To accomplish this, you will need to answer the following questions:

1 ~'º problem that you and your classmates want to study,? .

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8 What disagreements, if any, are there in your community about this ~oblem and the way it is being handled?

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1 O For each individual, group, or organization you identify, answer the following questions. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers,

" What is their position on the problem?

«> Why are they interested?

«> What are the advantages of their position?

• What are the disadvantages of their position?

., How are they trying to influence government to adopt their view?

11 What level of government or government agency is responsible for 9ealing with this problem? W,hy_? \e

12 What is the government doing about the problem?

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• S.P. Sullivan I NJ Advan~ ~~ ~~Jo~~~~S~denIB Opt out of PARCC? NJAM Community Forum Answers Your Questions." Opting Out of PARCC, Yes or NO? N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.

• "PARCC Is Unfair to Special Needs Students." PARCC Is Unfair to Special Needs

Students. Straus News, 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. • Lu, Adrienne. "States Reconsider Common Core Tests." Washington Post. The

Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. • Urycki, Mark. "State Board of Education on Public Complaints over PARCC Test." Ohio

RSS. ldeastream.@inc., 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.

4/15/2015 The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PARCC Test I Sa\e Our Schools NJ

I~e 12 Rea!tflns We Opp()sethe}'.ARCC Te~t

.Just in time for Christmas, we bring you ...

The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PARCC Test

1. PARCC is poorly designed & confusing

Why?

\J.Kf4t~1eg~1&~~îtN§!'.§tz[£~:r:ª~l~'lJ~f~.~J.!~.w~~¿f~J(.@);'.~;t},1&~1Y (multiple-choice and EBSR). These item types are most appropriate for testing very low-level skills ( e.g., recall of factual detail). However, on these tests, such item formats are pressed into a kind of service for which they are, generally,

>[¡¡\Jlk11'ifi'· ~,· ,-,· '"f\;~î,ø~Í not appropriate. , ·,~\{~ · -é, o .,,

¡t\l~~~¥fd@l§i~E~~'1$<',.Ü ,. se: .. :n;~.¥!'! $01 the questions are supposed to deal with higher-order thinking, and

. i :""'' 1 ·•fli'Wtfil!~t~~á'~WtTØ,nsI;.eJl'aFtl'tí}15eif:ffíTexth;:ro:td l t · ...- y,, ., ··-~ .. , ... .u.-£if.Mtf!.·~~~u.1;0,.;.¡~.¡'x~.i'\l.~;;.~~~~t~.::d:..~·

· rtf,,,1§.r · ,?, all because the "experts" who designed these tests didn't understand the most basic stuff about creating assessments-that objective question formats are generally not great for testing higher-order thinking, for example." i

3. PARCC is diagnostically & instructionally useless

"Many kinds of assessment-diagnostic assessment, formative assessment, performative assessment, some classroom summative assessment-has instructional value. They can be used to inform instruction and/or are themselves instructive.

The results of [the PARCC] tests are not broken down in any way that is of diagnostic or instructional use.

http:/ lwNN.sa1ÆOurschool snj .org/2014/12/23/th~ 12-reasons-~-oppos~ the-parce-test/ 1/4

4/1512015 The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PAR CC Test I Sa1.e our Schools NJ

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questions of those kinds, and the time spent on reporting, data analysis, data chats, proctoring, and other test housekeeping." i

S. PARCC will further distori: curricula and teaching

"The tests drive how and what people teach, and they drive much of what is created by curriculum developers ... Those distortions are grave. In U.S. curriculum development today, the tail is wagging the dog." i

6. PARCC & other high-stakes standardized tests undermine students' creativity and desire to learn The research on motivation and creativity is very clear: externally imposed punishment and reward systems, like those associated with high-stakes standardized testing, suppress our intrinsic motivation, dramatically undermining creativity and love of learning.

High-stakes standardized tests also suppress motivation and creativity because the endless test preparation narrows the curriculum and creates a boring learning environment, filled with anxiety and fear. (

\

1: PARCC & other high-stakes standardized tests have an enormous financial cost "qfffl~-2'0'1~Ø'k''1far~Wi~~~f1Q.~íllf&l!\tôº'-ll'ä'tfé'if5får*f'å'füiz'ê~~:t_e;siii'm'~'ôîfb" With the Comm on Core State Standards tests, this cost increases substantially.

ïftß:ê}_ë.AJ?¡l@~§:~B~t~r:ª~@b'~-~¡f'g~flv!'fg.@6f:tf1Yö.&r~.lfEqz!3iJ1J~[ll~.9mläf to th e Pearson [ Co rpo rat i o n l i n th e first three years, and you have to add the cost of [the Smarter Balanced Common Core Assessment] and the other state tests (another billion and a half?), to that.

~JWB'V.'·~"9.~l~~Xlf"';,t.trä~:f~~tl@tW~f'·rn~T~lfe~1~~~"-:··-· 7 ·· • · ~ ·. · te .u rades that:·wil~· '~~~~~~~~~~~·~1~~~~~~~~11~-1-~' 1ffl1ï{1~~:rn~m~~Y2!.~.âJi:cQQ1-m.1:)~~.i?.:.lt§E1,~B.nP:tYJflbåf.~mattef$.rOn making sure that poor kids have eye exams and warm clothes and food in their bellies, on making sure that libraries are open and that schools have nurses on duty to keep kids from dying. How many dead kids is all this testing worth, given that it is, again, of no instructional value?

IF THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NOT OBVIOUS TO YOU, YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE NEAR A SCHOOL OR AN EDUCATIONAL POLICY-MAKING DESK." i I

~-

8. PARCC is completely experimental. lt has not been validated as accurate & yet it will be used to evaluate students, schools and teachers

http:/ fwN>N. sa1.eOurscl1ool snj . org /2014/12/23/the--12-r easons-we-oppose- the-par cc- testi 2/4

4/1512015 The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PAR CC Test I Sa1.e Our Schools NJ

, , both generally and specifically (that is, with regard to specific materials and/or skills being tested).

9. PARCC & other high-stakes standardized tests are abusive to our children · , '. ,::.\./;,;-;~:· · ' ·· ·· '· .. ~,-,,, . :·JfctJzed<fä.$ts:~6r,;Jnflict.Lng::ih.ªr:JiLí~I

'-•' •_.,,.· .J ¿,g;. .~

10. PARCC will worsen the achievement and gender gaps . ",,, .. ·,:»·· , ''ëîit\~·fí_ël~fj¡¡':êl'ñ'd ë'rf!H~~Yp'."§"1i'nt~Hú'èfäíti'ótra l'i aertø t11)1çl1jfC"ê'.fäif'g~Íå'f~g•:.,,èWiV0d'êl~för'&J

... ,.,. . ' ~ . -~ ·-· • /,:¡_._:· .. -.J~~·:;f.::,,_ . .,_~.;:>::.;-:.: ;;, .... ,, -·· . . . .., .. · .. ,. . .... ;,.

, and these tests and the curricula and pedagogical strategies tied to them are extremely demotivating. They create new expectations and new hurdles that will widen existing gaps, not close them."

· tr:0tñ¡êr'~'®b~miS*~6i1'eió'í?ei'i;~~'ämg¡.wa¥r1Je·~tfftlr.ë1{re·g'irW'ê'ti't~fl'8Wt~¥i'tí~'§t:á;-rn'ru·a~finiz·afü~m~,, ... , which will further turn off kids already turned off by school, causing more to tune out

and drop out." i

11. High-stakes standardized tests fail to improve educational outcomes "We have had more than a decade, now, of standards-and-testing-based accountability under [No Child Left Behind]. We have seen only miniscule increases in outcomes, and those are well within the margin of error of the calculations. Simply from the ,,;~;~'-Ætë'; 7;.; ... ,., .. fä, ,·qy:¡ç1_~i~'ª-','ril

- , fÏJ:~&~l~.~ili11' And that[$.~ú~l~-~t~~fäj'.fü~tft~{!fü~;§:~tnx:rL -- K.: .. ~:;f , , '~--,¿¿:, -,~::.;;" '-- ,· .. ··~,-~·-·

,• , .. ,, ""·"" ; ~~·. :., which is consistent with what we know about the demotivational effects of extrinsic punishment and reward systems. It's the height of stupidity to look at a clearly failed approach and to say, 'Gee, we should do a lot more of them."' i

12. PARCC and Smarter Balanced Common Core aligned tests are designed to brand the majority of our children as failures

•.. '.lf, .. ~~4t1Q_.·:·"·:.'5. ·îm.Ja'i/if ..... ~.Æß.~Îi~.·-1' .. ~.·~.;r~.'~~.:z.mf_~t®:'. . .... · ~-~r,.·.Jb.:'.'6·· .. m.:.'fu.· .. P'"' .. ·"''' .. ··· .. - .-. · l···~:~~~~fféM.r¢::'.~-,fi1á'füi¡~1f~~ f«li:h~~BHé1'fB'ä http:/ lvwvvv.sa1ÆOurschool snj .org /2014/12123/the-12-reasons-'Ae-oppose- the-parce- test/ 3/4

4/15/2015 The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PAR CC Test I Sa1.e Our schoos NJ

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The PARCC test will set its cut scores next summer, but it is very likely to follow the same pattern, creating a false narrative of failure and causing great harm to our children and our public schools.

Source: http://dianeravitch.net/ .. ./bob-shepherd-why-parcc-testing-i .. ./ 11 Source: httn..;.L.Lwww.edweek.orgLJ;warticles/2014/11/17 /13sbac.h34.html Iii Source: bltn..;.L/d ianeravitch. net/ ... /how-pearsons-common-core-tests..:.a,d

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3 Responses to The 12 Reasons We Oppose the PARCC Test

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A reporting project of

State Board of Education on Public Corrplalnts over PARCC Test J statenpæt Ohio 4/1312015

OHIO ~

Eye 011 E.clucéltíon

member stations

State Board of Education on Public Complaints over PARCC Test MARCH 11, 201514:28 PM

BY MARK URYCKI

Ohio public schools are in their third week of issuing standardized teste; for students in

fourth throuqh sixth grades, eighth grade, and high school.

The state legislature passed a law one year ago that eliminates any ramifications for the pupils in this first year of the test.

But that hasn't calmed down members of the state board of education at their .1eeting tbis week.

ABOUT STATEIMPACT OHIO

Statehnpact Ohio is a collaboration among WCPN, WKSU and WOSU. Reporters Amy Hansen and Mark Urycki travel the state to report on the state of education in Ohio, where it's heading, and how it affects you. Read their reports on this site and listen to them on public raclio stations across Ohio.

UrlYCKI

District 11 member Mary l~ose oakar of Cleveland (foregrouncl) tel lin I) Sen. Peggy Lehner (hack) about public complarnts over PAACC tost.

It's known as the PAf~CC test, which stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

Listen to the Radio Staty lDNnlwJ

with few problems so far says Jim Wright of the Ohio Department of Education.

"Overall with the number of tests we have given right now there are over 850 thousand tests that have been completed, 600 thousand in math and ELA [English Language Arts] and over 250 thousand in science and social studies. So I think it shows that a lot of schools and districts are doing successfully."

But Board of Education members aren't so sure. Mary Rose Oakar of Cleveland turned to State Senator Peggy Lehner and said there must be some issues with the test rollout.

"Otherwise I wouldn't be getting boxes of test mania, letters from thoughtful parents, students, teachers," Oakar said. "I mean, boxes."

"Yeah I know," Lehner said. "I have the same boxes. But I want to point out we've been etling those for a couple months now."

Lehner, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, believes it's a vocal few who are complaining and did so even before the exams were given. Some opposition to the PARCC test comes from groups opposed to the Common Core standards that Ohio

Learn More» Support State Impact Ohio»

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4/1312015 State Board of Education on Public COOl)lalnts rn.er PARCC Test I StatelrTl)B.ct Ohio

educators adopted. Others just believe students take too many high stakes, standardized FUNDERS tests.

Lehner asked that the board members allow the tests to run their course over the next two weeks so officials can study how well they worked. But new board member Bob Hagan of Education reporting is supported by the Youngstown said every time he goes to the grocery store he's accosted by upset parents, Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its

American Graduate Initiative. (

students, and teachers.

"What you're dealing 1Nitl1 now is a test that they think can end their career and the morale of teachers that is disintegrating right before our eyes."

But last year and again earlier this month, Senator Lehner pointed out, the state legislature passed a law so this first-year test \Nill not have ramifications on students' grades or their ability to graduate.

Support for Statelmpact Ohio and its education programming on 90.3 and online is provided by the Nord Family Foundation and The Nordsan Corporation Foundation.

"There are no implications for anyone at the school level, the teacher level or the students' level from these exams this spring. There are none. So not taking the test only delays our ability to find out whether it's a bad or a good test or whether its formulated well or not."

That's not entirely true. ln fact, the test \Nill count toward teacher evaluations unless the teacher works out a deal with the school district.

lt was conservative Repuolicans, like the late State Senator Gene Watts, who wanted strict statewide standards and testing, going back to the 1990's. 'And sorne still back them.

One of the eight board members appointed by Governor Kasich, Melanie Bolender, of Mt Vernon, expressed support for the exams.

"Accountability is important and testing is the way to hold people accountable. I think we need to hold people accountable."

( The Senate has formed a committee that includes board members, teachers, and curriculum experts to investigate whether the PARCC test works for Ohio. They'll issue a report in May.

After that the committee \Nill look for ways to follow up on the State School Superintendent's goal of cutting back by 20% all standardized tests in Ohio.

TOPICS

The ABC's of the Common Core in Ohio

Influences PARCC

COMMENTS

11 Comments Statelmpact Ohio 8 Loqln «

• Recommend ['.t Share Sort by Best.,, ( fJl j Join the ~1scussion... . . ..... .. ... .·

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4/13/2015 PAR CC Is unfair to special needs students I West Milford Hewtt Newfoundland NJ I Letters to the Editor

Cartoons Columns Letters to the Editor

PARCC is unfair to special needs students P ARCC is unfair to special neecls students

PUBLISHED FEB 13, 2015 AT 6:01 AM (UPDATED FEB 13, 2015)

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There are many parent concerns, echoed throughout the state of New .Iersey, regarding the upcoming PARCC

assessment. The PARCC test aligns with the New .lersey Common Core curriculum.

;~ . However,

they will he able to utilize the accommodations built into the computerized version of the test. This sounds, on

paper, as appropriate accommodations for the special needs students. However, in actuality, the PARCC

testing and Common Core arc creating a population of students, 1(, to 2.0 percent in New Jersey, with a very

~&~~~¥iiî~~î~W~"'V 'J1Je Common Core curriculum and the PARCC testing fit the one-size-fits-

< ocsn't take into account the unique needs of our special education students

with an !EP or 504. Hg·- , Some of the difficulties this population faces are reading comprehension,

written expression, and fluency. The accommodations on the PARCC test cannot meet the unique needs of the

student. The PARCC doesn't take into account that many language-based learning-dísa hied students read

below grade level. This is very apparent on previous years' standardized test reports.

There is a disparity between the partially proficient general education students and the special education

list of most siguificant common core key terms hy Bruce Taylor being given out hy schools that are

participating in PARCC. This document claims, if students elo not understand the meaning of these terms on

which PARCC prompts are based,

students learn differently than the general population. The standard visual test wou Id create an unfair

disadvantage to these specific leamers even with a reader or audio-component.

-~mt&.1i~'.~i.\i~.~~Æ~~1ªRAt~~~ØJ.w~- . _ . These students are often below gracie level as well. Many parents arc concerned in this group of learners. · · 1 1 1 . ,a· ,

f'a,Ji:W¡~~Øft[~clt-·11iis can adversely affect a child';s:~lf esteem. Standardized testing for one with a neurological condition is penalizing those students.

• • Most: Rend Commented Emniled

04/09/201? The return of Arnold Road 04/09/2015 District's Wechling retiring 04/08/2015 Lakeland Bank honors colleagues for years of service 04/09/2015 Take Five with Murad Yassin 04/09/2015 School district approves tech upgrade 04/07/2015 Hensley calls for GOP debate 04/07/2015 Anthony Christopher Neglia 04/08/2015 BASF to sponsor two free lectures by Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle

Tm: WEEK'S MOST DISCI:SSEI> STOR!l·~~

Dining Guide 2014

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4/1312015 PAR CC Is unfair to special needs students I West Miiford HelJIÄtt Nevioundland NJ I Letters to the Editor ..

(

. Io LE-am More · Ciiek He're · · Cnll for Spr.•clr1ls!

behalf of the student to learn something new.

The common difficulties students with disabilities face daily have not been taken into account with the

PARCC testing. These difficulties are: speaking, reading, comprehension, processing, memory, executive

\\Tho does the PARCC testing hurt the most? The students who are most vulnerable.

e .• bg1lEhlRVJ~ltWJ\~"¥t~1~iª11flf~,~~¡',JlW~--S.î~ . . These students are expected to sit and d(ï110ÎlÍiÎÎg'fu'rt ecturatlon of the testing. 'l11e "sit

and stare" iolicy i~ a direct punitive action that will negatively impact the special education populatlon,I BØ ·. 'i., ··~~~~_Jl'g"ff" . , the sit and stare policy will just increase the anxiety. I implore school districts not to utilize suc 1gmatizing tactic. Offer the students who have parent refusals

for the PARCC an nlternative activity.

Mary Laumbach-Perez is a volunteer educational advocate for students with special needs. Professionally she

is a nationally certified Employment Services Provider with 10 years of experience working with the

developmental disabilities and special education population. She has 15 years experience studying Hidden

Disabilities: Learning and Developmental. Laumbach-Perez is also the founder of a non-profit special education coalition. Through the coalition., she has partnered with professionals to offer special education

workshops to New Jersey parent groups. The opinions expressed in this article are her own and do not

express the opinions of her employer or other professionals she has partnered with.

,.

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you "on topic?" Have you added value? Hear no evil the sound and tone of your comment should be clvll and thoughtful

Speak no evil do not post anything you know to be untrue or disparaging

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Parent? Student? leacher? NO Wh~t~~~~%,~z~~·;~:r~~e~~1 :~1Y1~l~t~~;~iew ~

in our school: PARCC. SŒCll lt Hl

Overtesting strips us of ow love of lc<H n ing. Hig1 stakes tc-stir.g .lmits ocr exptomttcn of

ourwodd, our teacher's t:rnativity, and our school's 1thilit.y to Improve education Yoy.are.more .Hu1n.ø .:;core.

Wonl.m.9r.dnf2Ui91l>Julp;//ßl1~q-~_b•i:tfll~.~-"'·m.~

For the alternative policies some that we have mentioned are giving individuals the option

to opt out of taking the test instead of making everyone take the test. Yes this is already an

option but we've decided to mention it because many parents do not know about it here.

This is a good alternative to the people but not to the school because the people will be

happy with choosing which test but the schools will be having to pay for two tests.

The second alternative is to go back to regular standardized testing (OAA). This will

be hard to decide because some people like the new

test. Although many at this particular school dislike the

PARCC tests some school districts do enjoy the new

computer based testing. So this will get a lot of

controversy among Ohio. The state governor could

choose to not allow PAR CC tests at all so we have to

be careful of what we ask so we keep everyone i n mind

when we make the final decision.

The third alternative is to allow schools to

decide which test to take and not the state of Ohio. This would be good because some

VOU CAN ... • Refuse the PARCC • Take Control of Your Education • Make a Stand

schools may like it and some may not. Many states are doing PARCC by state not by

school district so it would be a good solution to one of the problems. Also many students

have chosen to opt out of the test so instead of having vast numbers of students opt out the

entire school can just opt out. This will help because once a child opts out you'll have to get

a new test for them to take so if vast amount of people opt out it would be smart for the

entire school to opt out as well.

PARCC Testing: Some Ohio · parents opting out Department of Education issues warning

BY: Julie O'Neill (mailto:joneill@wcpo.com)

LOVELAND, Ohio - Are you in or out?

9 On Your Side has found that a growing number of parents are considering opting their kids out of next week's new standardized testing for Ohio in spite of warnings from the Department of Education about possible consequences.

Many parents are taking their concerns to social media. And even a local superintendent is expressing reservations about it.

Loveland parents like Amy Broermann are sounding off on the private "Learn Loveland" Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1023711754310780/).

Ohio is among 13 states in the consortium called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), (http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing-old/Ohio-s­ State-Tests/Partnership-for-Assessment-of-Readiness-for..,Co-1)which developed Ohio's new grades 3-12 English language arts and mathematics state tests.

Broermann has spent the last few days conferring with other parents concerned about PARCC testing, and she says the math doesn't add up.

"The number of days that teachers spent preparing for it. The number of days that school will be disrupted so that kids can take the tests ... It's gone too far," she said.

"I hear about teachers complaining that they spend as much time and energy on paperwork and prepping for tests as they do actually teaching the kids.

"The money and time that is being spent with all the standardized testing is not most benefiting our kids and I just worry that we are traveling in the totally wrong direction as to how we can best help our kids and help our teachers educate our kids."

Loveland Superintendent Chad Hilliker understands her concern and has shared his on his

blog. (http://www.lovelandschools.org/protected/ ArticleView.aspx?iid=5IU2B2&dasi=3IU2)

"My concern isn't about the testing. It's about the number of days that we're going to be ( -,

testing," he told 9 On Your Side.

"We used to test two days a year for reading and for math. Now we're testing in eight

sessions, which changes the schedule for eight days."

The grassroots organization Opt Out Ohio

(http://ohioansagainstcommoncore.com/ optoutohiochallenge-your-childs-safe-harbor /) said

the opt-out form on its site has been downloaded 24,000 times since they posted it two weeks

ago.

Hilliker says only a minority are opting out in Loveland.

"We have some people who have opted out but not a vast majority of people are doing that.

Most people want their children to take the test because we need to see the results. We kind

of need to see what it's like after the first year before we really make a determination about

what that really means for our students," he said.

(

\

The Ohio Department of Education has a warning on its website (https:// education.ohio.gov /Topics/Testing-old/News/Guidance-on-Testing-Refusal-Cases­ Offered) about possible consequences for students, teachers, schools and districts when students don't take state tests.

Broermann believes this first year is the best year to opt out to minimize negative consequences such as affecting her district's report card or funding.

She is opting out.

"Only because I think that sends the strongest message," she said.

Parents have been sounding off on this issue on WCPO's Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/WCP09/posts/10152832985863445) We'd like to hear from you \ with this testing beginning Feb. 16.

Elementary school teachers: How PARCC testing is affecting our classrooms - The Washi... Page 1 of 5

~he ttlttøbittgton tJoøt

Answer Sheet

Elementary school teachers: How PARCC testing is affecting our classrooms By Valerie Strauss March 23

With the spring standardized testing season under way, we are hearing from a growing number of

teachers, principals and even superintendents who are speaking out about the negative effects of high­

stakes testing on teaching and learning. For example, Steve Kramer, superintendent of Madeira City

Schools in Ohio, recently wrote an open letter about why he is "profoundly concerned" about new

Common Core testing. The following post is an open letter signed by 20 teachers at Barbieri Elementary

School in Framingham, Massachusetts, who detail how Common Core testing is affecting their

classrooms.

Here's the open letter:

We are teachers at Barbieri Elementary School who want to make clear what is happening

in your children's classrooms as a result of decisions made in offices far away.

This year, 3rd-8th graders in Framingham Public Schools will be taking the test known as

PARCC, which will be replacing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS).

PARCC was created by the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and

Careers, one of two multi-state consortia given $360 million in federal funds to design

new standardized tests to hold students, schools and teachers "accountable."

As teachers we cannot stay silent as PARCC makes its way into our classrooms.

In the words of Soujourner Truth at the 1851 Women's Convention, "Where there is so

much racket there must be something out of kilter." Nationally, we're hearing a racket

about the problem of standardized tests driving instruction, knocking the process of

education clearly out of kilter. Here are a few reasons why:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/23/elementary-school-teac... 4/8/2015

Elementary school teachers: How PARCC testing is affecting our classrooms -The Washi... Page 2 of 5

1. Test Prep takes time awayft•om REAL Reading, W1·iting and Math

Instruction. (

For example, leading up to the PARCC exam, regular instruction is suspended in reading

and writing classes in order to prepare our students for the kind of passages and

questions they will encounter. On average we will cancel six weeks of reading and writing

instruction to prepare for the tests. The time for independent reading, read-alouds and

word study is replaced with repeated practice answering multiple choice questions and

writing multi-paragraph essays in less time than they will ever be asked to do in high

school or college. This does not even account for the instruction time lost to actually

taking the P ARCC tests. This year students will lose seven additional learning days in

Grade Three, eight days in Grade Four and nine days in Grade Five, while the children

take the PARCC exam (in addition to science MCAS in fifth grade). Some say that because

students will only be allowed 75 minutes to complete the test, there will still be plenty of

time for regular instruction. However, it will take at least an additional 40 minutes to get

students appropriately seated, hand out the materials and read the lengthy directions.

This also does not account for the fact that some students are allowed up to the entire

school day to complete the tests, and we cannot introduce new concepts with part of the

class still testing. Furthermore, PARCC is only one of many state and district mandated

tests that your children have to take each year.

2. Test Prep Negatively Affects Children's Love of Learninq

We became elementary school teachers because we wanted to help foster a love of

learning. We teach our students that reading can bring joy and that math is magical. But

that message is nullified when we start to prepare our students for standardized tests. We

tell our students that they can no longer talk with their friends to puzzle out a math

solution, or consult the word wall to help them understand unfamiliar words. We tell our

students that they need to read quickly because on testing days they will have a mere 75

minutes to read two or three stories, answer multiple choice questions and write an essay.

As we completely undermine what we have spent so much time building, our students

begin to lose their passion for reading and math. If wc extinguish the passion to learn at such a young age, how are we preparing them for "college and careers?"

3. Standardized Tests Punish English Language Learners, Students with

Special Needs and Students with Anxiety \

http:!/www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/23/elementary-school-teac... 4/8/2015

Elementary school teachers: How PARCC testing is affecting our classrooms - The Washi ... Page 3 of 5

As teachers, wc constantly strive to meet the individual needs of our students by

differentiating instruction so that everyone can access the curriculum. But that is not the

message during testing time. For the first time in the school year, all students arc

expected to read independently at their given grade level. Students with special needs and

those whose first language is not English arc likely to struggle. Every year, children who

are anxious about school freeze up, become ill, and/or are reduced to tears by these types

of tests. Russ Walsh, a literacy expe1t, recentlydetermined that the majority of passages

and questions on the sample PARCC tests arc two years beyond the expected reading level

for the grade. He summarized his findings by saying that the tests will provide very

limited information for parents and teachers, and a tremendous amount of frustration for

students.

4. PARCC= Failing our Teachers and Students

The results of the PAR.CC tests will no doubt feed into the education reform mantra that

our kids, teachers and schools are failing. Each year, there are wholesale changes to

curriculum because the goal of education has become "passing the test." We have to

scramble to create lesson plans for these constantly changing expectations. How can we

do our best work if we are not properly trained in the curriculum? A new lesson requires

time for teachers to understand the concept deeply and determine how best to present it.

It requires time to think about how to engage students in the lesson, how to accommodate

for individual student needs, and to gather the necessary materials. We need time to

create visual supports, and to consider how to assess students' understanding of what is

taught. Multiply that time by four or more subjects in a day, and you can sec how it

becomes impossible for teachers to be effective when curriculum is changed every year to

fit a test.

Excellent teaching is aligned to the individual learning needs of students, and it is out of

kilter to have to teach to the expectations of a standardized test. These sterile tests and

the accompanying weeks of artificial test-prep stand in stark contrast to the rich and

varied learning experiences we strive for in the classroom. By way of this testing, we see

the curriculum narrowing, a false definition of educational success expanding, and the

appreciation of school and life-long learning vanishing.

Pat Kryzak, 3rd Grade Teacher

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/23/elementary-school-teac... 4/8/2015

Elementary school teachers: How PARCC testing is affecting our classrooms - The Washi... Page 4 of 5

Antonella D'Eramo, 3rd Grade Teacher / \

Laura Molina Camarasa, 3rd Grade Teacher

Sarah Pogson, 3rd Grade Teacher

Rebecca Lally, 3rd Grade Teacher

Jocelynne Mackay, 3rd Grade Teacher

Megan Gage, 3rd Grade Teacher

Jean Mulcahey, 3rd Grade Teacher

Lisie Haustein, 4th Grade Teacher

Katy Shander-Reynolds, 4th Grade Teacher

Monica Viteri-Harutunian, 4th Grade Teacher

Ned Sawyer, 4th Grade Teacher

Kirstin Veeder, 4th Grade Teacher

Ann Croatti, 4th Grade Teacher

Susan Quemere, 4th Grade Teacher

Tamar Szmuilowicz, 5th Grade Teacher

Laura Goldman, 5th Grade Teacher

Susan Rosser, 5th Grade Teacher

Teresa Burke, 5th Grade Teacher

Cristina Sandza-Donovan, 5th Grade Teacher

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answcr-shect/wp/2015/03/23/elcmcntary-school-teac... 4/8/2015

• Takes up less time • Has easier questions • Get grants to pay for the assessments • Take it all one day • Gets more class time • You'll know the content of the text

These are some advantages of going back to paper state testing better known as OAA 's. Some advantages of going back are it takes less time and and you can finish all tests in a week time frame. Since it takes up less time you'll have more class time and time for your teachers to teach you things you may need to know on these tests.

Disadvantages on going back to the OAA 's

• Its not as challenging as PARCC • We won't know how to operate the computers for other things • Its not eco friendly

These are some disagreements on our alternative policy which is going back to the OAA 's. Some of the things we came up with are the PARCC is not as challenging as the OAAs, so we could be preparing for the next grade up. Also its not eco friendly and you would be using a lot of paper when we could be taking the online tests. Although there are some disadvantages these things can be fixed besides the paper issue so I still think we should go back to regular paper testing OAA 's.

stares reconsmer common core tests By Adrienne Lu February 20, 2014

Beginning in March,-mti.~~DJÆ~;¡<l'è<]ff

tlCß.!!!i4l~:!l.M; a set of standards adopted by almost every state that map out what students should know and be able to do in each grade.

.-·-m~•ifd~Jmm:~~~, ~~g¡~~to increase academic rigor for all students and to allow states to better evaluate their

students and compare them with those in other states.

The testing that will take place starting in March wi11 serve as a dry run for the two groups of states that have , , u .'

banded together to develop Common Core tests, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership' for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC. In most states, the real Common Core tests will · ·,,gin in 2015.

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But as controversy over the Common Core has challenged some states' commitment to the standards,_.,

~d~il!Im..--1,, · · raising questions about the cost of the tests and the long-term viability of the multi-state testing groups, which~~

ŒØIJJmJJml· . ·. The federal grants will end this fall, and it is unclear whether the testing groups will continue past that point.

"What gets tested is what gets taught," said Joan Herman, co-director emeritus of the National Center for Research

on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing at UCLA. "To the extent that the assessments well represent the spirit

l meaning of the standards, the spirit and meaning of the standards will get taught. Where the assessments fall snott, curriculum, instruction and teaching will likely fall short as well."

Dropping the tests

~~~Crlticsfromb~hends~fuepoliticd spectrum cited a variety of complaints, including the fear of federal control over education, questions about whethe( \

Common Core is superior to previous state standards and worries about .the implementation of the standards, ·

including the cost to states and school districts .

.~):[ft;)T'°%:tfi ~?(ç':,:¡'.{1P:hJ:;.n'(~ ·~··mt--rhfä\~·;~·(I {pi kir~ í, d:qi 'g~î. K.ahITTta }fff~ . tú~ ~ïiY~ Ilii o.:!, • ~l .O , º º o t º- (! fd)ij'!) • , • • , , • , - ., --. : - .- • - • ,..~· «, ·,. _- ->;:·¿· .. ~(F}_::)~i,·{~:-{--rt>:'_-'.~~z)~\-·\:,}.~.TY~~,~,:, .... _~ --~····~· ~-~-- - ',. ~/ -~,_\~'.?-:/':(li~l?i(

,;f~~~~~s·_¡r..~L~Ji:i;fo:~,~1v¡¡t1o;(~· :~p.rJ~F\:iiï~~miiif.~;· .~ifü~;_'.rnr'i;ùit;~{L:;-iéfuî~· .. ~~-fü ··füt~r~ ";, 'tf' ~ · ·t.··fü~~) .. J.>~-.~~~j¡~\i¡i~{~j)fü~~,i'~~~~' .....

. .. only the English standards). But

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opting instead to commission tests from the . • and instead

Pennsylvania has said it will use its own tests.

- about the median its member states now pay for standardized tests;

····and than current standardized test costs in two-thirds of the member states.

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Herman said both P ARCC and Smarter Balanced are breaking new ground in developing student tests.

'\~~ii1f'"1d;£{1Jñ~imlmfûJIS\~l)@p,!gif~@mltllB~ŒØ," Herman sait· "No doubt some folks don't think they're far enough, but in my mind, they're definitely an important step forward

and will ~~~tm1r~m¥ï1lf@.îfçííi'§!filri\'ft.rd~~X!§.¡,JJm~t~lm}~t~~,,

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Want your kids to opt out of standardized tests? The Constitution may be with you. Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed a.finding - that pre-kindergarten through ieth grade

students take 113 tests - to the wrong education organization. The version below has been corrected.

By Anya Kamenetz January 9

Anya Kamenetz writes about education for NPR. This essay is adapted from her book "The Test: Why Our

Schools Are Obsessed With Standardized Testing - but You Don't Have to Be."

When Jeanette Deutermann's older son began third grade, he started crying and begging not to go to school. He

developed stomachaches that a doctor said were stress-related. Deutermann, a stay-at-home mom in Nassau County, Long Island, was mystified. "In kindergarten, first, second grade, he wasn't a kid who was like, 'Please let

go to school,'" she recalled. "But he didn't have issues."

She eventually realized what was stressing him out: ~~J.ï11(Wfi@l"l.11J.!lg,IîJif]!¡~ßœ~Ø On top of state-mandated annual exams, her school and district had imposed many more diagnostic, benchmark and practice tests. For Deutermann, the last straw came in February 2013, during her son's fourth-grade year, when

he brought home a notide that he'd been "selected" for something called "Sunrise Academy." Based on their scores

on the NWEA, a benchmark test, some fourth-graders - gifted as well as struggling kids - were asked to come in at

7:30 a.m. two mornings a week to prep for the state exam. "For me it was a -~ota.I red flag," peutermann recalled, "I start asking: 'What happens ifhe doesn't do well? WiU he be put on a lower track? What is the consequence?'" She

was told the test would measure the school's performance, not her son's.

But Deutermann had had enough. So she founded a Facebook group, Long Island Opt-out Info, that February and

started organizing other parents. the next spring, , !'§}~'l)]l!zSJiritr,!Lt§i~}ñîï'[Çl§f.@.~-;;jlrâñcflîW"d~t~ .l.-

( ,_ u ·-vv-~u~,·.v~~·.v~•·.···-~c,v>~~---,-~-.~·--~-.w~ •• ~-~~-----•--·•~----~=~~~~~--~~~-·~·~-~ --~-~·~-~ . .,-.,~,•n·v,--'-~--~~

~~~~- determined to reclaim local control and opposed to market-based

reforms, school closures and cutbacks - fiJ.mñ'gt"tliê.ir:mit:i~ltJl\J§fäffffi._HiiJg.it~&J Designed to assess students and hold teachers, schools, districts and states accountable for their performance, high-stakes exams have

come to define education for many kids. The Council of the Great City Schools has reported that

~"".®1í®!til~!t1ll!l!!1ifil!'eíi\'à'li'iliil\'!filmil\1Bf]lfülI!lli!fïl~Il~áLILt.- ~"û· . íW§ffll

The new national resistance holds that these exams do not provide useful or timely information; that they are unfair

to minorities and other disadvantaged grnups; and that tests and prep are crowding out arts, science, social studies

and zrst-century skills. Officials are pushing back. Yet parents are finding constitutional arguments to support their

approach, and in many cases they'r~~vVinni11g.

There are no hard numbers. But starting in 2013, changes to teacher evaluations related to Race to the Top, a

federal incentive program, as well as the adoption of the Common Core standards, triggered a new wave of opt-out

protests and boycotts led by parent groups and teachers unions.Qi•ør~JJ:~1~11m}nfti~iliiiwí:Jil,W~:"" : f:~~'î§ilftll_ ... f¡. Organizers in Denver and Chicago also recruited many defectors during the 2014 testing .

legen dar Histofy..,," historian William J. Reese tells the story of what happened in 1845 in Boston, when reformers, led by the

. ···,·· · . , ,í : ·culnsT.ftñfis'ª"i$~,r.,,rytegtnñ'¡i)1fv..1;·c.\r1:;·1fg'ffii2·;;lf&fü§.fU:ä~lf Pi'~r~êfJ~lfffà.dê'r'Yf:¡¡.,.;:;r¡: · ,.,..,,,., ~,, .,•.t!hJ, .. ·.\(·~1¡'1):',~,!:,l-1-.:·:·.~~ ... /:t!:l-'- • lt 1):,¡~!t. · .,.~.·R~ ...... , ..... ~,~·-- · ru~·~,-,Y.~ .. ~- · .. . 8 •. :.<~">~

, that the test narrowed the curriculum and deprofessionalized teachers.

But, as Reese writes, "once written tests entered the schools, they were never going to leave."

Still, most students complied. The opt-out is a relatively new phenomenon - a response to the age of universal,

high-stakes testing. · ·· .' ,~ ,, ··1~~ff1~'@lllmwª_Ps_: ~-g~-~~~f_W,t1Ø r1·~~.~~,¡~·~·âh~:;~cf:t~1··~:: '.~Hf~:Í·/;~ ~ :l . aw.:~~vyy.2t.,,..,,. ... ~ .. ,~§ =. @ ~L .. ,,, .... ,:X.Æ .. ~1 . J . The state commissioner of education scolded the affluent district in an

official letter the following fall, ordering school officials to punish students if they repeated the stunt. I \

alarm about "Obamacore," while teachers unions are asking for more professional autonomy. High-stakes testing

H ·st · 11 ~~,:i:~:'¥.~î:;e"~."s'Mt~a·,:,;¡;·1î1X~èlt.JW~~''e:;,sr't~s1'~~'l,a·;·,_:,:i;-~+'A'Q;'i'c,"Bil,·'8"mt;l'l~P~""'a-··.-.···1"e"··1P''e)7JW)ll'.r-c.1~=-]:l;r.f~Wa""'~~"1i·e-~"ª:i-·.¡;~ffi..1~'·"'fm -1~~~1· 1~ one~ y, ~~i,:g¡.1. ll!;!.W..il.,~~t :n Y-e.,tM.w.r~¥~~:fü·i,·.~,W.1,,~l,l,,.1X. .• J;~g._~~.y;,_S_M __ .::;.J:¡,!i._1;;?.~t:t~~"..til,~Y.11i:s.i.e..~P~ll!Ul!@S't

and don't reflect a great depth oflearning, said James Pellegrino, co-director of Learning Sciences Research

Institut~ at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a leading expert. on student assessment.

Pellegrino said that because every child is now tested every year from third through eighth grades and once in high

~hoo~~~dbecauæ , ,~;..~,Yv~

'

Pellegrino warned. "If we have shallow tests

§Øi._1l.:œJ'· -~~~ " Pellegrino said. "As a consequence, they won't teach to the standards - they'll teach to

"You get into a mode of mass production, and mass production doesn't always get tuned to the highest levels of

quality," Pellegrino said. "It's not like you couldn't do it, but it's very costly to produce high-quality assessments on

an ongoing basis with the sort of scope and scale" used in the United States.

the test."

Assessing complex skills

tmlmf' or groups of test questions designed around a common theme and

On the end-of-year exams, King said high school students might be asked to imagine being a staff member in a

congressman's office. The congressman has asked the staffer to write a short memo explaining the pros and cons of nuclear power and provide a recommendation on what position the congressman should take, including the

justification for the recommendation. The student would be given background materials to read and would need to

evaluate the credibility of the background materials before constructing a cogent, concise argument.

David Connerty-Marin, a spokesman for PARCC, said

. They will, for example, ~9,')_Y~, ...

, . t . , . They also will evaluate reading and writing scores at every grade (currently, few states u.st writing at every grade level) and gauge whether students are on track to be "college ready" when they graduate

from high school.

•bepth of knowledge'

In Michigan, which has seen its share of controversy over the Common Core, Joseph Martineau, the deputy

superintendent for accountability services, said ·~im~~Ft'~iJ'la~mfill$.m.ii~ ( , the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP. Smarter Balanced wi11 '

. : .... ~êisfß.··n: · ,~ .. ~. m. ~~~\~~!t.ll'IJ!m.

. , they can also be administered over a longer period,

whereas the previous state tests had to be administered on a single day to prevent cheating.

Martineau said th

' "We would not have been able to afford to develop the kind of quality that was developed t~rough the consortium.f •' ._. ;. .

he said. '.

- Stateline.org

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su~~o~te~s a~d a~~o~e~ts Our PARCC movement has appealed to many people. Not only do we have many supporters we also so have Opponents. We are planning to appeal to the ones opposing our alternative for PARCC in by part taking in civil disobedients. We are planning to protest against their opinion in hopes to persuade them that PARCC is not in the best assessment to prove what the students have learned throughout the year .. PARCC also affects the way teachers are rated and this

assessment is unfairly bring rates down. Some of the group of people we have supporting us are mainly our peers.

Most of our teacher, our Principle, and many groups of students all across the districts. We don't have many upper executive supporters yet, but we are hoping to appeal to the State Board of Education. The State Board of education will give us the power we need to carry out our Alternative policy of going back to the OAA state assessment. We will need to influence them to make a change in their state testing

system. Although, we have a great amount of supporters we also have many opponents we

need to influence. Some of these groups consist of many of our peers, many teachers, and and the people of the district. We have to influence the teacher that this assessment is failing them. Teachers are evaluated by three things, which consist of Teacher performance, Alternative Component, and Student Growth. If our students are not prepared for this assessment, and don't meet the standards of this test how can a teacher be rated on their growth. If the student are failing the test, because teachers didn't have to resources to prepare them for the assessment, how can you tell if the teacher is doing his/her job or not. The assessment is unfairly failing both the students and teachers, which also makes our school as a whole look bad.

Refuse the Te$t

OPT OUT OF PAR CC CommonCoroForum.<>rg [i] Common Core Sorum

The State Government is this biggest opponent our group needs to influence. The State Government agrees with the idea of PARCC "Challenging the student", and PARCC being the "New and Improved". We would need to influence them to have an open mind. We are hoping they would see our views and consider our policy. Other than the State Government, There are many supporters in that field. There are not many others we may need to influence, but if needed we will do so.

Basically we are going to be taking all the evidence we have received so far in our project and making a video of it. The evidence we have all come from reliable sources and surveys. Every website we used to find information is listed in each of the panels bibliography. We'll have a table of content in the beginning of our binder so you know where to find everything in the binder. We have dividers in the binder labeled as the panel numbers and more.

Our information we gathered is very helpful to us because we needed some type of proof to prove to them a lot of people dislike the PARCC tests. Keep in mind when you see our surveys that they are from all kinds of different people they could be 7th or 8th graders men or women and even adults. Our surveys really have no limit of whos taking it because we want our evidence to be very distinctive so as long as you have some connection with PARCC you can take it whether it be you are taking it or you're giving the test or even your children are taking it.

Also even though you may think that everyone in the United States has to take the test they don't PAR CC is ran by state so if your state governor says its a good idea to take PARCC tests every public school has to do so unless you or your school opt out. Some states may not want you to opt out though because it will cause a lot of stress and hectic moments in the mean time of getting some sort of test in place instead of the PAR CC.

PARCC States http://www. parcconline .org/

1• ·~·'· . • Il

ou~ ActltM P\an We are going to be making a video to present to the Board of Education and maybe even

the state. We decided to make a video so we can share our results and information to inform everyone why we don't like PARC C. Most people have many different views on state testing and whether or not PARCC should be in place. We will also be interviewing administrators like teachers, the principal, board members and more.

We will start by getting questions in order to ask our different groups of teachers we'll be writing our questions in a journal along with the responses. We are going to be emailing teachers and asking them when the best time to interview them is and keeping note of when and where. We'll be recording clips of the interviews to put in the video and be asking them to record a short entry so that we can insert that as well. The video will mainly focus on different views on the PARCC but we will also give a lot of background information on PAR CC and OAA's.

This is what we will be doing as our step to get rid of PARCC. Mer we gather all the information, video clips, and interviews we will be editing it and turning it into this great inspirational video. We basically just want PAR CC removed from our school and to allow us to pick what WE want to take. Think about it would you be trying your absolute best on a test you dread taking? I don't think so. So why not allow us to pick so you can have the best test score results for the district? Exactly there is no point.

Parccïnu AT ANY. TllVlliE

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(http://www.nj.com/)

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PARCC: What happens if students 'opt out?•

f\ew Jersey schools am pmparir1g tor how to handle students w 110 refuse lo take the new PARCC ex urts. (Express Tirn:~s file photo)

n lhttp://conncct.nj.com/staffladamclark/index.htmn By Adam Clark I NJ Advance Medla for g NJ.com lhttp://connect.nl,com/staff/adamctarklp.l!filliJllrn!l · Email the author I Follow on Twitter lhttps://twitter.com/rcalAdamClarkl

on January 25, 2015 at 7:41 AM, updated January 25, 2015 at 9:40 AM

New Jersey students in grades 3 to 11 will take the state's new standardized tests this March. But Lila Lofving, a seventh-grader at Montclair's Mount Hebron Middle School, won't be ciné of them, her mother says.

Martha Evans says she will refuse to allow Lila, a straight-A student, to take the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (http://www.parcconline.org) exam, which she thinks is unnecessarily difficult, among other concerns.

"I think it's a horrible test," Evans said. "I don't think it has any assessment value, and I don't want her taking it."

Across New Jersey, districts arc preparing for how they will respond to students like Lila, part of a building "opt-out" movement aimed at the PARCC exams, computerized tests designed to he more challenging than their predecessors.

The state says it has no policy addressing whether students can opt out of standardized tests, but the Department of Education has advised districts that the tests are mandatory ane! that schools should consult their discipline ane! attendance policies if students refuse to take

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Superintendents say they are following that state (http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click lx.ads/www.nj.com/cducation/2015/01/what directive, while at the same time conceding they can't force a student to take a test.

The state has also advised school officials to steer the conversation away from whether students can refuse the PARCC tests and toward the benefit of taking the exams, which focus on critical thinking and strategy more so than content.

"The PARCC exams, unlike anything else wc have ever done in the state, will provide much more robust information about your child's education, how the schools can help them, how you as a parent can help them," Education Commissioner David Hespe said,

Students arc not required to take the PARCC tests to move to the next grade level. And unlike the High School Proficiency Assessment, which had been given to rith-graders, PARCC will not he a graduation requirement, at least not until 2018.

A few districts have been proactive about clarifying for parents whether students who refuse the test will he offered alternative learning activities, which the state says districts are not required to do. But others have so far remained mum unless specifically asked.

Some parents fear students could be forced to "sit and stare," an approach certain schools across the country have adopted in response to opts outs. Sarah Tepper Blaine of Montclair, an education blogger who says her daughter will refuse the fourth-grade test, said the lack of a universal policy has left parents unsure what to expect if their students refuse to take the PARCC on test clay.

"I don't think it's clear to anyone at this point," Blaine said.

Opt-out movement grows

New Jersey is one of 11 states, along with the District of Columbia, in the P ARCC consortium that developed the common set of tests in math and language arts. More than 20 states were originally involved hut the number continues to drop as support wanes. The tests are aligned with the new standards introduced in classrooms last year, called Common Core íltttp://www.c01·estandards.org).

With the debut of the PAR CC tests looming in New Jersey, the local opt-out movement is experiencing a groundswell, said Jean McTavish, a member of United Opt Out-NJ, a branch of a national organization that promotes opting out as a way for parents to get a seat at the table with decision makers in education.

"It is exploding in New Jersey," MeTavish said.

That was evidenced at January's state Board of Education meeting, where nearly 100 people signed up for public testimony.

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Parents, some holding "NO PARCCING" signs or wearing "Opt-out" shirts íblln://www.nj.com/education/2015/ollpa1·cc exams blasted by parents teacher students at open fomm.html), called for the state to abandon the PARCC tests. Some students said they would refuse to take them.

McTavish, a New York City school principal whose children attend Ridgewood Public Schools, said New Jersey is following in the footsteps of New York, where thousands of students reportedly skipped school last spring rather than show up to take their annual state tests.

Educators agree the movement is spreading, though it's unclear to what degree. Opposition is vocal in some communities, like Montclair, hut superintendents in some others say they have barely heard a peep.

PAR CC supporters, who count the state's PTA and association of school administrators among them, have said they believe much of the opposition stems from a general dislike of the Common Core.

Opponents, however, say their concerns nm deeper.

\

Many critics say the questions are too confusing and the format is too complex, especially for younger students.

Lila said she wanted to take the PARCC exams, despite her mother's concerns, until she took a practice test at school.

She was confused by a question asking about the underlying teme of a sentence in a story, she said. Another question directed her to select the best answer when she thought none of the answers were great, she recalled.

An "opt our: shirt worn by Mrntclair parent Colleen Martine, at the New Jersey Board of Education meeting (!'dam Clark I NJ Aívance ~dta for NJ.com)

"Not only was it hard, the questions were really complicated and they were, like, deceiving," said Lila, 13. "Eventually, once I had deciphered what they wanted, I had to rush to he able to finish it."

Lila now agrees with her mom that she shouldn't take the test. In addition to finding it confusing, she says practice tests are taking away from instructional time.

"We have always told her, 'We are going to do what wc think is hest for you,' "Evans said. "I do not think taking the PARCC is hest for her."

In Montclair, parents have urged the school hoard to adopt a policy allowing students who want to skip the test to receive other learning opportunities during testing periods. A vote is expected at Monday's school board meeting.

No state policy

In California, state law has long given parents the right to opt students out of tests, said Boh Schaeffer, public education director for FairTest/the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (http://www.fairtest.org1 a national advocacy group.

But the issue is so new that most states, like New Jersey, have no legal or regulatory guidance on how to handle a student refusing to take a test for nonreligious reasons, he said.

"In most cases, it is unplowed ground," Schaeffer said.

A memo Hespe sent to schools in October suggesting that they consult their disciplinary policies was widely interpreted hy opt-out advocates as advising schools to punish students who come to school but refuse to take the test.

Hespe later clarified the state's stance in January, saying not every refusal to take the tests should he considered a disciplinary problem.

"Certainly if a student comes in and they arc disruptive, you should apply your own disciplinary policy," Hespe said. "If they are not disruptive, you should have a policy on what you do with that child."

The Bloomfield Board of Education passed a resolution in October saying the district won't punish students who skip the tests and will provide alternatives, when possible.

"We thought it was necessary to have an idea in mind early in the school year of what wc were going to do," hoard President Daniel Anderson said. "We are not promoting it or condoning it, hut the reality is some parents may want to have their child refuse the test."

Because administering the tests is required under law, districts must tell students that the tests are mandatory, regardless of how they plan to handle those who refuse to take them, said Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.

"A district has no authority to say you may opt out," Bazza said. "What they can say is if children aren't participating we will provide another academic setting."

Yet some districts are reticent to do even that, especially since federal law requires 95 percent of a school's student body to take a state's annual standardized test.

North Brunswick Township, where more than 500 students piloted the PARCC tests last year, has had only a few parents indicate they don't want their children to take them again, district Superintendent Brian Zychowski said.

(

Zychowski said he will inform parents at an upcoming information session that students who refuse the exams must stay in their classroom while their classmates test but will be allowed to read.

Millburn Township Public Schools will also make students who refuse the test stay in the classroom, though it hasn't determined what exactly those students will do, Superintendent James Crisfield said. Students will receive an excused absence if their parents keep them home from school, he said.

At Kenilworth public schools, Superintendent Scott Taylor hasn't publicized his plan to advise students who want to opt out of the tests to simply stay home. And, so far, he hasn't had any parents contact him, he said.

"The less I advertise this protocol, the more likely I will not have that issue," Taylor said. "I am really playing this low key."

Adam Clark muy be reached at adam clark(á1niadvancemedia.com (mailto:adam clark@niadvancemedia.com). Follow him on tioitter at @realAdamClark(https:f/hvitter.com/realAdamÇlm•k). Find NJ.com on Facebook Ozttps:f/www.facebook.com/NJ.com).

Lessons are learned and memories are made in U1e classroom, band room. gymnasium and cafeteria, on tile walk to school or during the ride on U1e bus. Gallery compiled l1y Greg Hatala I The Star-Ledger

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Do you believe the PARCC test is beneficial?

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Do you feel tired after taking the tests? Answered: 90 Skipped: l

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Q3

Do you feel that you should take the PARCC?

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 80% 90"/o 100%

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How has it effected your grades? Answered: 91 Skipped: O

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