Twenty one percent of Port Washington students scheduled to take the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) test from April 14 to 16 opted out of the exam. Although anecdotal evidence provided to the Port Washington News indicated that a higher percentage of students opted out in the middle school than in the elementary schools, “the district is only releasing its percentage; a breakdown by school will not be provided,” stated Beth Izzo of Syntax, the district’s PR firm. According to data posted by Newsday as of 6 p.m. on April 17, out of 2,359 Port Washington students eligible to take the test, 492 refused.
The state tests are required by the federal government, are a required part of the instructional program, and there is no provision in law or regulation for a parent to refuse the tests, said Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch. “I believe that test refusal is a terrible mistake because it eliminates important information about how our kids are doing. I do not pretend that test results are the only way we know, but they are an important piece of information. They are the only common measure of progress we have. We are not going to force kids to take tests. That’s not the New York way. But, we are going to continue to help students and parents understand that it is a terrible mistake to refuse the right to know. We don’t refuse to go to the doctor for an annual checkup. Most of us don’t refuse to get a vaccination. We should not refuse to take the test,” Tisch said recently in a speech to the New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Under federal regulations, Tisch stated, if a school has less than 95% of its students participating in the assessments, the school could lose significant federal funding. “But schools could lose more than federal dollars. ‘Opting out’ could cost us much of the progress we have made and damage the work that still needs be done for our most vulnerable students.”
Yet, parents who sent a refusal letter to opt their children out of the exams felt differently. “The opt-out movement is an effort to regain local control over education, which benefits our children and community. Test refusals are a statement that the current testing system is failing our children and unfair to educators. Some parents who made the decision to refuse these tests believe that to do nothing is to be complicit in the harm these tests are causing children and public school,” said Allison Breidbart White,cofounder of the Port Washington Advocates for Public Education.
Port elementary school parents faced a unique issue regarding the state tests, according to White. “Port school administration continues to insist on using the scores of the ELA and math tests as part of the criteria for inclusion in the PEP (Port Enrichment Program) core group program,” White said. “As a result, parents have found themselves in a Catch-22: wanting to refuse to allow their children to take these substandard tests while wanting their children to qualify for the PEP program,” she continued.
Jeanette Deutermann, founder and administrator of Long Island Opt Out and cofounder of New York State Allies for Public Education, said, “I have mixed feelings on results of the refusal numbers. I am so incredibly grateful to parents that have chosen to stand up for public schools, their children and our public school teachers by refusing to allow their children to participate in the NYS assessments this year. However, that is mixed with sadness that our classrooms have come to this. I would love for nothing more than to know that legislators, Governor Cuomo and the State Education Department have finally heard us loud and clear as to what we want and do not want for our children’s education here in N.Y. Unfortunately we continue to hear the rhetoric that ‘parents just do not understand how important these tests are.’”
Linda K., a parent of one elementary school and two middle school children, expressed a sentiment shared by other parents. “What’s worse than the test itself is the amount of class time wasted in preparation for it. That’s my number one issue with it.”
