Board of Regents could force schools to up standardized test participation

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Rockville Centre School District opt-out rates for this year’s standardized tests.
Rockville Centre School District opt-out rates for this year’s standardized tests.
Christina Daly/Herald

Over half of Rockville Centre students in grades three to eight did not take the standardized English Language Arts and math tests this year, and the state Board of Regents are considering a crack down on schools with low participation rates.

On June 11, the Board of Regents gave preliminary approval to new rules that would force schools to use federal funds to improve testing participation, targeting school districts with high opt-out rates for state intervention. The provisions are framed as reinforcing the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires that districts must have 95 percent of students participate in the standardized tests. However, the law leaves it up to states to decide on an individual basis how they would foster more participation.

Chancellor Betty Rosa noted these regulations are bound to put the community “at odds.” She said, “On the one hand, ESSA gives that credible signal to parents that it’s ok, that you have parental choice. At the same time, they signal the second part, that says, ‘but … the state has to act like the heavy, the cop, the person who’s going to create the constructs for sanctions.’”

Rosa concluded, “It’s a very convoluted message that says, ‘Parents, you have a choice but schools, you don’t have a choice.’”

Still, the Board of Regents voted to advance the new ESSA regulations 14 to 3, with two abstentions. The rules will be back before the regents in September for final approval.

“What are we going to do? Write lots of letters to parent?” questioned Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Johnson. He said she has not seen any realistic suggestions from the Board of Regents regarding convincing parents to not opt-out their children, given the current state of the exams.

The opt-out rates for the Rockville Centre school district this year was a total average of 59.3 percent for the ELA exam and 53.2 for the math, according to Dr. Christopher J. Pellettieri, assistant superintendent of curriculum & instruction.

Johnson noted he is in fact in favor of state testing but does not support this kind of initiative. “I want a valid, reliable test that is administered in a reasonable amount of time … but we are not there yet,” he said, also adding that he would like the results returned quicker than August.

Nonetheless, Johnson brought up that Rockville Centre schools do not receive much money through Title I federal funding to begin with, receiving $149,000 last year according to Pellettieri.