Opting Out in Indiana

A great story here on WFYI on how some parents are choosing to Opt-Out of the standardized testing in Indiana.  Interestingly, the Indiana DOE didn't respond to some of these folks for three months but sent an email the day this story came out.  Shows what it takes these days sadly.  The conversation is building steam and getting interesting.

Why Some Indiana Parents Won’t Let Their Kids Take State Tests This Spring

They’ve tried organizing. They’ve tried criticizing. They’ve tried testifying.

But despite efforts to get their message out, some parents still feel shut out of the discussion about changes in education policy across Indiana and the nation.

So now, a handful of them is trying a new way to make their point — resisting.

Having long criticized laws like the federal No Child Left Behind act and Indiana’s Public Law 221 for relying too heavily on test scores, small groups of parents are planning to have their students “Opt Out” of statewide testing this spring. On test day, their kids simply won’t show up to school.

• ‘This Page Intentionally Left Blank’: Opt Out In IndianaEvery Indiana third grader will take a new reading exam in March to determine whether he or she can move on to the fourth grade. As Kyle Stokes reports, that’s one more reason some parents who worry about the increasingly-high stakes of state testing don’t want their children taking the exams this spring.Download

‘WE DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TESTING PER SE’

Though state officials doubt the legality of such a move, organizers say Opt Out is a vehicle parents can use to vent their frustration with education policies. National opponents of high-stakes standardized testing say if as few as five or six percent of students were to skip statewide exams, state officials could no longer consider the rest of the test results valid.

READ MORE:

Innovate Indy on Education Reform: Join us Jan. 5th!

DO NOT LEAVE EDUCATION REFORM IN THE HANDS OF “EXPERTS”
IN BUSINESS, FINANCE, AND LAW!


On December 3rd a conversation began about education reform in Indianapolis. That conversation continues next on:  Thursday January 5th at 7:00pm at Big Car Service Center, 3919 N. Lafayette Road.

We will talk about authentic measures for learning and stopping the abuse of children by testing them.

Phil and Joan Harris from Bloomington, two of the three coauthors of:
The Myths of Standardized Tests: Why They Don't Tell You What You Think They Do
will join us to share their knowledge and we will discuss further activities to educate a wider community.

Matthew Brooks, coordinator for Opt- out Indiana will also join the discussion of how to protect our kids and our communities.

Adults please bring students to share their insights and add their voices to this vital discussion.

A tremendous concentration of wealth and political power has been focused in Indianapolis to drive an agenda of change in education. We find that agenda dangerously misinformed. We intend to inform and redirect that agenda toward the betterment of our neighborhoods, our schools and our children. We need the participation of parents, students, teachers and all concerned members of the community in order to accomplish this goal. Please join our conversation.