Testing 'opt-outs' aplenty in Valley Stream

More than 100 students did not take part in the New York state assessments given last week, significantly more than what was expected in the days leading up the exam.

The English language arts test was given April 1-3 to students in third- through eighth-grade across the state, including more than 4,000 children in Valley Stream public schools. A majority of the 135 children who did not take the assessment were in District 13.

Dr. Adrienne Robb-Fund, superintendent of District 13, reported that 73 students refused the test on the first day, and that number increased to 79 by the end of the week. Most of those students were at the James A. Dever and Wheeler Avenue schools.

“I was surprised,” said Robb-Fund, who the week before the test said she expected between 20 and 30 refusals. “I think there’s been a lot of media attention on this topic.”

Refusing the test, commonly referred to as “opting out,” has become an increasingly popular tool among parents who are unhappy with the new Common Core State Standards and the accompanying assessments.

“This is a way for parents who feel that their voice isn’t being heard,” said Dr. Bill Heidenreich, superintendent of the Central High School District, where 39 students did not take the test. “They’re not trying to send a message to us, but rather to the state Education Department.”

Heidenreich said the Friday before the tests, he was expecting only a dozen refusals, but the number quickly grew, particularly at North High. He said the high numbers there made sense, given the amount of refusals at Dever, an elementary school that feeds into North.

District 24 had 11 refusals, and there were six in District 30.

None of the Valley Stream districts implemented the controversial sit-and-stare policy, where students not taking the test would have been required to sit quietly in the testing room.

Instead, all non-test-takers were provided alternatives. In District 13, children were able to read quietly. District 24 allowed students to go to another room to read, while District 30 provided learning activities for those children based upon individual needs.

In the high schools, seventh- and eighth-graders not taking the test were either sent to the guidance office to read, or allowed to follow their regular schedule of classes. Heidenreich said that the goal was to provide those students with a suitable alternative, while not creating distractions in the testing rooms.

District 24 Superintendent Dr. Edward Fale, at a recent Board of Education meeting, noted that some districts were providing rooms for children to play games in while their classmates took the tests. He said that was never an option in District 24, and feels that would undermine the testing program. “You can’t make not taking the test more attractive than taking the test,” he said.

Tina Correa had her two children, a seventh-grader at Memorial Junior High School and a fourth-grader at Clear Stream Avenue School, refuse the test. She said she was pleased with the alternatives their respective districts provided.

After doing a lot of research, Correa said that she decided she did not want her students taking the exams. “It was a hard decision,” she said. “I don’t want to give the kids the wrong impression. I don’t want to do anything to hurt the school.”

School administrators are concerned that the large number of refusals could hurt the chance of certain schools to make Adequate Yearly Progress, a provision of the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools are expected to have 95 percent of eligible children take the test.

Superintendents noted that despite a waiver granted to the state of New York for exemptions to AYP measures, the 95 percent goal is still expected. Heidenreich said he is concerned that North High won’t make the mark.

Superintendents say they expect to see several high-performing schools and districts end up on the Schools in Need of Improvement list, simply because the 95 percent benchmark wasn’t achieved. It’s an issue Heidenreich said the state needs to address.

Correa said she has many concerns with the tests, including the fact that results are tied to teacher evaluations. She said she feels there is a level of secrecy around the assessments that prevents them from being used as a meaningful tool to further individual student achievement.

“These tests aren’t gauging our children,” she said. “They’re being used as report cards for the teachers.”

Correa said she encourages parents to use the variety of resources available online, including numerous Facebook groups, to learn more about the tests and Common Core, and make an informed decision as to whether or not their children should take the tests.

Heidenreich said that he respects the wishes of the parents who choose to have their children refuse the rest. He said when the math assessment is given in a few weeks, he expects at least the same number of “opt outs.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the number we have increase by the time we get to May,” he said.