Language is
Everything
The Maryland State Department of Education has said that
students cannot opt out of taking the PARCC tests or other mandated
standardized tests. The primary reason
is that the federal law mandates that 95% of all students must take the
test. So it stands to reason that if
MSDE were to give students and their families the opportunity to “opt” out,
Maryland could run the risk of being below the 95% threshold. Very few states have allowed for an opt out
process. However, many families oppose
the testing. These families cite the
amount of time taken from classroom instruction, not just for the test itself
but for the preparation that happens as a run up to the testing itself.
Frederick County has a significant number of families who
are opposed to the testing. The County
requested a ruling from MSDE regarding whether or not families and their
children could opt out. MSDE responded
with a relatively firm no.
Now Frederick County Public Schools has come up with a new
policy. Students still may not opt out
of the testing. But under the new
policy, what students can do, is refuse to take the test. So here is how this will work. Families may not pre-emptively refuse to
allow their children to take the test.
HOWEVER, when the test is put before the child, the student may simply
refuse to participate. From the point of
view of FCPS, refusal at the time of presentation is different from a
pre-emptive no. From this perspective,
the public schools are doing what they are required to do- administer the test
to the students. The students, in the
words of the famous Nancy Regan, may just say no. Students who are not capable of speaking may
use whatever alternative device they use to communicate their wishes.
The Board of Education said that this policy was developed
to create consistent direction throughout the county’s public school system
while still respecting the rights of students and the obligations of
schools. Under the policy, school administrators
may offer alternative activities for students who opt out--- oops, sorry-refuse to
take the test.
The president of the State School Board has declined to
comment. Although he did say the FCPS
policy seemed close to the prohibition for opting out. The policy will be referred for legal advice.
Meanwhile, the members of the Frederick County Board of
Education said they are aware there could be some push back from MSBE. There is concern among the members who voted
no that this policy could be seen as encouragement for kids not to take the test. The spectre of losing federal funding that
flows through MSDE to the local school systems is also a concern.
The Frederick County School Board’s attorney has vetted the
language and the policy passed was slightly less vigorous than the first draft. The County Superintendent stated she thought
the Board had drafted a policy that was consistent with the State Board
directive.
The Maryland State Education Association president has long
pushed for an alternative route for those students who, for whatever reason, are
opposed to the testing. The union has
issued a statement that this policy is a step in the right direction.
Nationally, teachers’ unions have been at the forefront of
encouraging the opt out movement. Part
of that encouragement comes from the link between student performance on these
tests and a teacher’s evaluation.
The fall-out from this policy is yet to be known. The State Board needs to weigh in on whether
Frederick County is in violation of its directive. If the number of students who refuse the
test pushes Frederick county’s test participation below the 95% threshold, will
that jeopardize federal funding? If this
plan provides a way for a school system to be respectful of parents’ wishes while
still upholding state policy, there could be more school districts in Maryland
taking this route. Then again there is
that pesky issue of federal funding.
A rose is a rose, is a rose. Then again maybe not, all depends on if the
rose refuses to be a flower.
