[ProgressiveEd] Fwd: [rsct] Why We Opt Out
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I think this is an excellent, well written article from a parent's point of
view of why they choose to opt out of standardized tests for their kids. Carol
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From: "Monty Neill" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>,
"RScriticalteach" <[email protected]>,
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=20
Education Week
American Education's Newspaper of Record=20
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ew_printstory.cfm?slug=3D26hamel.h22
March 12, 2003
State-Mandated Testing:=20
Why We Opt Out
By Catherine Ross Hamel & Fred L. Hamel
Education Week
When it comes to testing mandates, we exercise our rights as par=
ents to protect our children from activities not in their interests.=20
=20
When district- or state-mandated testing comes around in our children'=
s public schools, we opt out. We inform our kids' teachers and principal in=20=
writing that we do not want our children taking the tests. Each year, for th=
e past six years, our requests have been respectfully accommodated.=20
This isn't a decision we make lightly. Schools have important work to=20=
do in the area of reform: to better challenge and engage all children. But w=
hen it comes to testing mandates, we exercise our rights as parents to prote=
ct our children from activities not in their interests. In our view, such te=
sts diminish the work of teaching and ask children to carry the burden of bu=
ilding public confidence in schools.=20
The purpose of mandated tests is to provide a snapshot of student perf=
ormance in a way that informs school decisionmakers, parents, and community=20=
members. These groups need a way to determine what students know and how wel=
l schools work in order to make knowledgeable decisions. Our belief, however=
, is that any decision based solely on the results of a mandated test, even=20=
a well-designed test with proven reliability, is a poorly informed decision.=
The snapshot of learning that comes from such tests is too incomplete a pic=
ture. It's a moment in time, a shot taken from a single, distant angle.=20
We think it's imperative to have a more complete understanding- for th=
e picture to contain multiple perspectives over time, that it be well-focuse=
d, true to color, and capable of both wide-angle view and close-up detail. W=
e don't want decisions about what is taught, how schools perform, how to sup=
port students, or which kids graduate to be made from anything less than tha=
t.=20
=20
A high-stakes testing environment, we have seen repeatedly, generates=20=
an unproductive tension for teachers, tension between what they know about t=
heir students and what they must do for the sake of the test. Teachers may f=
eel pressure to cover material quickly, or earlier, to fit the testing sched=
ule, rather than a developmental sequence. Innovative units are reduced, or=20=
come to an end, so that test preparation can begin. Families are encouraged=20=
to make sure their kids "eat well" and "get a good night's sleep" before tes=
ting days (what about learning days?).=20
A high-stakes testing environment, we have seen repeatedly=
, generates an unproductive tension for teachers.=20
=20
These are well-intended efforts. But as schools carry out their mandat=
ed testing, they are forced to shift their energies away from what educators=
know about kids and learning and toward representing themselves in simplist=
ic ways for public consumption. We believe, further, that many adults workin=
g in schools recognize this oversimplification. But they're in a difficult p=
lace to object. Such objections must come from outside the schools.=20
Typically, we submit a letter to the school that reads something like=20=
this:=20
We would like to request that our child not participate in the Washi=
ngton Assessment of Student Learning testing this spring. We understand that=
the district is mandated to collect such test data. However, we prefer that=
our daughter be engaged in learning activities during testing times.=20
We've discussed our decision with our daughter and her teachers, and=
we are working together to develop a plan for her during testing times that=
will work for everyone.=20
Thank you for considering our request. We appreciate the positive an=
d rich learning environment that you help create and support at [our school]=
.
In our letter, we support those who educate our children, affirming th=
at we trust what they know about students more than what a company-scored te=
st can reveal. During Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and WASL testing in recent=20=
years, our kids' teachers have allowed them to work on meaningful alternativ=
e activities- activities we believe are more geared to their learning needs.=
Last year, during mandated testing, our son worked on a story he's been wri=
ting avidly about two parakeets like the ones he has at home. In 4th grade,=20=
a testing year in our state, our daughter did an independent project about s=
ea animals.=20
=20
Many argue that mandated tests are a step in the right direction. They=
move instruction to a higher level, motivate students, and encourage comple=
x problem- solving skills. We see some evidence of this, but we aren't encou=
raged. The collateral costs are simply too high. In our state, the WASL's ab=
ility to effect change in schools comes from the power it has, even as a cri=
terion- referenced test, to cast students as winners and losers. We do not w=
ant our children cast in either role.=20
We are not against standards. We support the kinds of student as=
sessment needed to make sound educational decisions within a classroom. =20
=20
Winners receive the unproductive message that learning is about making=
the cut. They are applauded precisely because the standard is set so high-i=
n other words, high enough to ensure that there will be losers. And losers a=
re designated as substandard. The reform process is properly invested in stu=
dents who need more motivation, support, and challenge. But there are others=
in this losing group already motivated for school, well-taught, and learnin=
g in a manner consistent with their abilities and needs. Here, the rhetoric=20=
of test- based reform omits a disturbing reality: Its gains come at the pain=
ful expense of such students-that is, those responding to school appropriate=
ly but now designated as inadequate. To subject any learner to such collater=
al costs, and to ignore, minimize, or sugarcoat the effects, is, in our view=
, a misuse of administrative power.=20
We are not against standards. We support the kinds of student assessme=
nt needed to make sound educational decisions within a classroom. We believe=
every child can be challenged to exceed his or her own expectations. We are=
compelled to speak out, however, when parents and community members are led=
to believe that the best way to address these issues is for children to pre=
pare for and complete hours of mandated testing. Our job as parents, as we s=
ee it, is to insist that community leaders respond thoughtfully to failures=20=
and dilemmas in schools-in ways that avoid oversimplification. We withdraw o=
ur support from practices that expect children to pay the price for improvin=
g public confidence in schools. That's why we opt out-to preserve the best o=
f what public schools have to offer our kids.
Fred L. Hamel and Catherine Ross Hamel have two children in the public=
schools in Tacoma, Wash. Ms. Hamel is a speech-language pathologist in Taco=
ma-area schools. Mr. Hamel is an assistant professor of education at the Uni=
versity of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
=A9 2002 Editorial Projects in Education Vol. 22, number 26, page 32,=
34 =20
Monty Neill, Ed.D.
Executive Director
FairTest
342 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-864-4810 fax 617-497-2224
[email protected]
http://www.fairtest.org
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BLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D590 border=3D0> <TBODY> <T=
R> <TD> <H2>Education Week</H2>American Education's Newspaper of=
Record <P style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 60%"><FONT size=3D3><A href=3D=
"http://www.edweek.org/ew/ew_printstory.cfm?slug=3D26hamel.h22">http://www.e=
dweek.org/ew/ew_printstory.cfm?slug=3D26hamel.h22</A></FONT><BR><STRONG>Marc=
h 12, 2003</STRONG></P> <P style=3D"FONT-SIZE: large; COLOR:=20=
#006699"><STRONG>State-Mandated Testing: <BR>Why We Opt Out</STRONG>=
</P> <P></P> <P style=3D"COLOR: black">By Catherine Ross Hamel=
& Fred L. Hamel<BR><I>Education Week</I></P> <P><I></I><=
/P> <P></P> <P><!---START RIGHT PULLQUOTE TABLE HERE---> =20=
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D175 align=3Dright border=3D=
0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D10 hei=
ght=3D86><IMG height=3D1 src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/galle=
ry/spacer.gif" width=3D1></TD> <TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D1 bgColor=3D=
#006699 height=3D86><IMG height=3D1 src=3D"http://www.edweek.o=
rg/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" width=3D1></TD> <TD width=3D164 height=3D=
86> <DIV align=3Dleft> <TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cell=
Padding=3D5 width=3D164 align=3Dright border=3D0> <TBODY> =20=
<TR> <TD><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetic=
a, sans-serif" color=3D#006699 size=3D2><B>When it comes=
to testing mandates, we exercise our rights as parents=20=
to protect our children from activities not in their =20=
interests.</B></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></TD></TR></=
TBODY></TABLE><!--END RIGHT PULLQUOTE TABLE--> <P>When district- or s=
tate-mandated testing comes around in our children's public schools,=
we opt out. We inform our kids' teachers and principal in writing t=
hat we do not want our children taking the tests. Each year, for the=
past six years, our requests have been respectfully accommodated. <=
P>This isn't a decision we make lightly. Schools have important work to =20=
do in the area of reform: to better challenge and engage all children. B=
ut when it comes to testing mandates, we exercise our rights as pare=
nts to protect our children from activities not in their interests.=20=
In our view, such tests diminish the work of teaching and ask childr=
en to carry the burden of building public confidence in schools. =20=
<P>The purpose of mandated tests is to provide a snapshot of student =20=
performance in a way that informs school decisionmakers, parents, and=20=
community members. These groups need a way to determine what student=
s know and how well schools work in order to make knowledgeable deci=
sions. Our belief, however, is that any decision based solely on the=
results of a mandated test, even a well-designed test with proven r=
eliability, is a poorly informed decision. The snapshot of learning=20=
that comes from such tests is too incomplete a picture. It's a momen=
t in time, a shot taken from a single, distant angle. <P>We=20=
think it's imperative to have a more complete understanding=97 for the =20=
picture to contain multiple perspectives over time, that it be we=
ll-focused, true to color, and capable of both wide-angle view and c=
lose-up detail. We don't want decisions about what is taught, how schools =20=
perform, how to support students, or which kids graduate to be made fr=
om anything less than that. <P> <P><IMG height=3D1 sr=
c=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/gallery/n_spacer_blue.gif" width=3D435=
> <P>A high-stakes testing environment, we have seen repeatedly, gen=
erates an unproductive tension for teachers, tension between what th=
ey know about their students and what they must do for the sake of t=
he test. Teachers may feel pressure to cover material quickly, or ea=
rlier, to fit the testing schedule, rather than a developmental sequ=
ence. Innovative units are reduced, or come to an end, so that test=20=
preparation can begin. Families are encouraged to make sure their ki=
ds "eat well" and "get a good night's sleep" before testing days (wh=
at about learning days?). <P><!---START LEFT PULLQUOTE TABLE---> =20=
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D175 align=3Dleft border=3D=
0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=3D164> <=
TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D5 width=3D164 align=3Dright border=3D0>=20=
<TBODY> <TR> <TD align=3Drigh=
t><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" c=
olor=3D#006699 size=3D2><B>A high-stakes testing environ=
ment, we have seen repeatedly, generates an unproductive=
tension for teachers.</B></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TAB=
LE></TD> <TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D1 bgColor=3D#006699><IMG height=3D=
1 src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" width=3D=
1></TD> <TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D10><IMG height=3D1 =20=
src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" width=3D1></T=
D></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!---------END LEFT PULLQUOTE TABLE---->These =20=
are well-intended efforts. But as schools carry out their mandated =20=
testing, they are forced to shift their energies away from what educators =20=
know about kids and learning and toward representing themselves in =20=
simplistic ways for public consumption. We believe, further, that many=20=
adults working in schools recognize this oversimplification. But the=
y're in a difficult place to object. Such objections must come from=20=
outside the schools. <P>Typically, we submit a letter to the=
school that reads something like this: <P> <BLOCKQUO=
TE><I>We would like to request that our child not participate in t=
he Washington Assessment of Student Learning testing this spring. We =20=
understand that the district is mandated to collect such test data. =20=
However, we prefer that our daughter be engaged in learning activities=20=
during testing times. <P>We've discussed our decision wi=
th our daughter and her teachers, and we are working together to d=
evelop a plan for her during testing times that will work for ever=
yone. <P>Thank you for considering our request. We appreciate the=20=
positive and rich learning environment that you help create and su=
pport at [our school].</I></P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <P>I=
n our letter, we support those who educate our children, affirming t=
hat we trust what they know about students more than what a company-=
scored test can reveal. During Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and WASL t=
esting in recent years, our kids' teachers have allowed them to work on =20=
meaningful alternative activities=97 activities we believe are more gear=
ed to their learning needs. Last year, during mandated testing, our=20=
son worked on a story he's been writing avidly about two parakeets l=
ike the ones he has at home. In 4th grade, a testing year in our sta=
te, our daughter did an independent project about sea animals. =20=
<P> <P> <P><IMG height=3D1 src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/=
gallery/n_spacer_blue.gif" width=3D435> <P>Many argue that m=
andated tests are a step in the right direction. They move instructi=
on to a higher level, motivate students, and encourage complex probl=
em- solving skills. We see some evidence of this, but we aren't enco=
uraged. The collateral costs are simply too high. In our state, the=20=
WASL's ability to effect change in schools comes from the power it h=
as, even as a criterion- referenced test, to cast students as winners and =20=
losers. We do not want our children cast in either role. <P><!=
---START RIGHT PULLQUOTE TABLE HERE---> <TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPa=
dding=3D0 width=3D175 align=3Dright border=3D0> <TBODY> <T=
R> <TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D10 height=3D86><IMG height=3D1 =20=
src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" width=3D1></TD>=20=
<TD vAlign=3Dtop width=3D1 bgColor=3D#006699 height=3D86><IMG hei=
ght=3D1 src=3D"http://www.edweek.org/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" wi=
dth=3D1></TD> <TD width=3D164 height=3D86> <DIV alig=
n=3Dleft> <TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D5 width=3D164 al=
ign=3Dright border=3D0> <TBODY> <TR> =20=
<TD><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =20=
color=3D#006699 size=3D2><B>We are not against standards. We =20=
support the kinds of student assessment needed to make sound =20=
educational decisions within a classroom. =20=
</B></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--EN=
D RIGHT PULLQUOTE TABLE--> <P>Winners receive the unproductive messag=
e that learning is about making the cut. They are applauded precisel=
y because the standard is set so high=97in other words, high enough=20=
to ensure that there will be losers. And losers are designated as su=
bstandard. The reform process is properly invested in students who n=
eed more motivation, support, and challenge. But there are others in=
this losing group already motivated for school, well-taught, and le=
arning in a manner consistent with their abilities and needs. Here,=20=
the rhetoric of test- based reform omits a disturbing reality: Its g=
ains come at the painful expense of such students=97that is, those r=
esponding to school appropriately but now designated as inadequate. =20=
To subject any learner to such collateral costs, and to ignore, minimize, =20=
or sugarcoat the effects, is, in our view, a misuse of administrative=20=
power. <P>We are not against standards. We support the kinds=
of student assessment needed to make sound educational decisions wi=
thin a classroom. We believe every child can be challenged to exceed=
his or her own expectations. We are compelled to speak out, however=
, when parents and community members are led to believe that the bes=
t way to address these issues is for children to prepare for and com=
plete hours of mandated testing. Our job as parents, as we see it, i=
s to insist that community leaders respond thoughtfully to failures=20=
and dilemmas in schools=97in ways that avoid oversimplification. We=20=
withdraw our support from practices that expect children to pay the=20=
price for improving public confidence in schools. That's why we opt=20=
out=97to preserve the best of what public schools have to offer our=20=
kids.</P> <P style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 75%"><A name=3Dauthor></A><I>Fred L.=
Hamel and Catherine Ross Hamel have two children in the public scho=
ols in Tacoma, Wash. Ms. Hamel is a speech-language pathologist in T=
acoma-area schools. Mr. Hamel is an assistant professor of education=
at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.</I></P> <P></P>=20=
<P></P> <P></P> <P></P> <HR color=3D#cc9900 noSh=
ade SIZE=3D1> <SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 60%; COLOR: black">=A9 2002 E=
ditorial Projects in Education <IMG height=3D1 src=3D"http://www.edw=
eek.org/ew/gallery/spacer.gif" width=3D120> Vol. 22, number 26,=
page 32,34 </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DI=
V><FONT face=3DArial>Monty Neill, Ed.D.<BR>Executive Director<BR>FairTest<=
BR>342 Broadway<BR>Cambridge, MA 02139<BR>617-864-4810 f=
ax 617-497-2224<BR><A href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]=
g</A><BR><A href=3D"http://www.fairtest.org">http://www.fairtest.org</A></=
FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> =20
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