I learned something new at school today

On what will they base a grade? How will he have to prove he knows the information taught in class? Is he a kid who needs a push to get him to study or does he do out of love of learning? It could make him kickback knowing he is exempt from trial by test. What about when he has to confront something like the SAT to go on to college? Our system of testing doesn't help students become better thinkers, but it does help them learn how to perform under pressure.

I understand how you feel. I also think the main problem with standardized testing is not how students feel about taking the tests, but the fact that the curriculum they are being taught is tailored to the tests. Opting out of taking the test won't solve that.

Properly used, test scores are used as comparative measurements so parents, teachers and administrators will know where a student does or doesn't need additional help. You might find it useful. I have.

That said, if you feel the pressure will be too much for him, then opt out. Any comments he gets from other kids will just be motivated by envy. Tell him to smile and say, "You're just jealous!"

The cynical side of me thinks the one who wasn't supposed to tell you may have been quietly hoping you'd opt out. How would Mo's testing compare within the school and/or district? I know of other parents who were "quietly" told that they could opt their child out of testing.

My neighbor faced a similar situation with her son. Rather than opt out, she choose the option of having him take his tests in a different room and, because of his IEP, he was allowed additional time to take each test.

My immediate reaction is that I would opt out my kids in a second. These tests are at best worthless.

On second thought, why not let Mo decide for himself? I believe in giving kids as many choices as possible in a responsible way. This is a great opportunity for Mo to make a choice since neither decision is going to cause any damage. And by putting the choice in his hands, it gives him a great way to not care about what other kids think.

This could be a great learning moment, discuss pros and cons with him and then let him make the call.

This occurred to me, too.

I suggest that u discuss it with Mo
and let him decide.

HE has to live with the results.





David

Mo passed all the standardized tests last year.

Because of his IEP he got some extra time, too.

It came up today at his IEP meeting because I asked that he have a hard copy of the reading material along with the online version. I mentioned that I thought these tests were an absolute waste of time for both teachers and students and the person told "He doesn't have to take the tests".

He would still take tests, just not the NCLB tests.

I think I'll take max and David's advice and let Mo decide.

The test scores didn't provide me with any useful information -- three numbers on a piece of paper.

Reading around I've discovered that there is a real grassroots movement for opting out as a way to end NCLB testing. They advise that parents opt out their kids as "conscientious objectors" to the testing.

Schools don't want kids to opt out because if more than 5% of them do the school is said to not be meeting it's AYP (adequate yearly progress) and if they don't meet AYP they miss out on federal funds. That's why parents aren't told about the option.

I wouldn't opt my child out of it unless my child found it extremely stressful and it had a negative effect on his day to day functioning.
For two reasons:
a) I think standardized testing can provide useful information in terms of how your child tests and what he does and doesn't know. It can be a useful diagnostic tool in terms providing information to you, your child, and your child's teacher about what he has mastered and what he needs further work in.
b) I wouldn't give my child the message that s/he does not have to do what s/he doesn't like to do just because s/he doesn't like to do it.
Personally, I wouldn't teach my child that s/he is above the rules that everyone else has to follow and abide by, unless there were extenuating/mitigating circumstances and/or a very good and valid reason.

If I were against the tests in principle for EVERY child, I'd advocate against the tests.
But if my child was in that school and every other child in that school was expected to take the test and it wasn't a hardship on my child to take the test, I'd teach my child that sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do whether you like it or not. I wouldn't teach my child that s/he was somehow 'special' and deserving of 'special' treatment.
I'd rather have my child take a test than turn out to be someone who thought they somehow didn't have to do the tasks or follow the rules that everyone else had to do or follow.

I personally feel that I got good and valid information from my childrens' standardized test results - even if it was only to learn whether or not they were good test takers.

But he would not be breaking the rules by not taking the test.

The rule says he doesn't have to take the test.

Then I'd ask him why he didn't want to take the test that everyone else was taking and that might give him, you and his teacher useful information.

As I said, if he had a valid reason for being treated or acting differently than everyone else - so be it.
But if not - why?

He hasn't said anything yet because I haven't talked to him about it yet.

But if anyone were to have ever asked me if I didn't want to take a test I would have been all over that.

And sorry, but I don't think that just because everyone else is jumping off the test bridge that Mo has to jump off the test bridge too. Do you really want a kid who does things just because the other kids are doing it? Not me.

will they also miss out on federal funds if too many children get low scores (not necessarily failing scores - just not high enough scores to show the schools are - overall - providing better education)?

I don't know Mo - but I always liked taking tests because I passed them. You say Mo passes them too.
So, as David asked, did Mo say he doesn't want to take this test?
And if so, why - because he doesn't like to take tests?
Some kids don't like to eat vegetables...is that a good reason not to ask them or require them to eat vegetables?

You say he passes the tests...so he gets good results apparently.
What is the downside?
You learn about what he knows and doesn't know. His teacher learns what he knows and doesn't know and Mo experiences success...
I don't understand what is so negative about the test for Mo.

I think that's the normal feeling of most children.

I was the kind of kid who wouldn't tell my parents I was throwing-up-sick because it might mean I would miss a test. I was one of the weird, out-of-the norm children that was made fun of in the regular school system.

we've all got different feelings about attending school/testing/academics

your past feelings might line up well with Mo's current feelings - perhaps not



what if that is what Mo wants to do right now?

Possibly. Depending on the school district it could be federal NCLB funds or state funds. As a mother to two children, one who was a natural test taker and one who wasn't, I can say that our school district was much more concerned about publishing their test scores to a receptive tax-paying, referendum-passing local audience than to the individual child.

I'm not exactly sure how the calculations work, ehBeth. I know that there is some kind of rubic that decides how "failing" schools are funded.

I haven't really looked into it because Mo has always passed the tests and the only way his school would fall of the AYP is if enough kids opted out.