SCHOOLS

Exam refusal rates soar in the Bellmores

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With tens of thousands of New York students refusing to take state assessments this year, Bellmore and North Bellmore administrators are now waiting to see how the spike in what some call “opt-outs” will affect their districts.

The Bellmore School District, which includes the Charles A. Reinhard Early Childhood Center and Winthrop Avenue and Shore Road schools, had an English Language Arts exam refusal rate of 56 percent, with 340 of 607 students across all grade levels sitting out of the exams. Officials said 362 students refused to take the math assessments –– about 60 percent of those eligible to sit for the tests.

In North Bellmore, 762 of 1,209 students refused to take the ELA exams, which equates to a 63 percent opt-out rate. The district had a 65 percent refusal rate for the math tests, as 784 students did not take part in them.

The North Bellmore School District comprises Dinkelmeyer, Saw Mill Road, Newbridge Road, Martin Avenue and Park Avenue schools, and takes in students from North Bellmore and part of North Merrick.

The refusal rates skyrocketed in each district, jumping by more than 40 percentage points for each exam. In Bellmore, only 8 percent of eligible students did not sit for the ELA assessments last year, while 11 percent refused the math tests. In North Bellmore, the ELA refusal rate was 20 percent, and the math rate was 22 percent.

North Bellmore Superintendent Marie Testa attributed the increase in refusal rates across the region to parents becoming more educated about the statewide debate about testing. She said that parents have come together and decided that one way to make their opinions on the quality and quantity of the Common Core State Standards exams known is to have their children refuse to sit for the exams.

“There are many reasons why parents are choosing to have their children refuse, or choosing to have their children participate,” she said. “We encourage everyone to do what they feel is best … and we truly do respect the viewpoints of parents and work hard to create a climate that is productive and united, even though we have varying viewpoints.”

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