Many in my area are opting out of state testing

[bab]

I think this plays into the pussification of America. "if precious doesn't do well, he/she will be "LABELED." I'm pulling my child out! This is too stressful!

WTF? Take the damn test.

[emsumm]

That's not really the reason, though. In Chicago, some teachers are boycotting, too. In my experience, it has nothing to do with the expected results.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:11:15 GMT -5 emsumm said:

That's not really the reason, though. In Chicago, some teachers are boycotting, too. In my experience, it has nothing to do with the expected results.

Oh yes! It's the reason.
I can see why teachers are offended as this is a measure of their job performance and IMO is not a fair assessment of a teacher. But parents are keeping their kids home because they fear "labeling" if their child does not perform well. I think this is crazy.

[speckledfrog]

What good does taking the test do?

[bab]

I'm talking about parents, not teachers!

I can get why teachers don't want to administer these tests.

[textbookcase]

Mar 31, 2014 16:13:53 GMT -5 bab said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:11:15 GMT -5 emsumm said:

That's not really the reason, though. In Chicago, some teachers are boycotting, too. In my experience, it has nothing to do with the expected results.

Oh yes! It's the reason.
I can see why teachers are offended as this is a measure of their job performance and IMO is not a fair assessment of a teacher. But parents are keeping their kids home because they fear "labeling" if their child does not perform well. I think this is crazy.

I don't think the expected results are the reason people are opting out. From what I understand, results won't even be reported this year.

[emsumm]

It's because of the number and nature of standardized tests. It's a protest against high stakes testing.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:15:09 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

What good does taking the test do?

Seriously? What harm does it do? Did you skip SATs?

[bab]

OK I am speaking about actual conversations I have had with actual people. Not articles

[speckledfrog]

Mar 31, 2014 16:16:53 GMT -5 bab said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:15:09 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

What good does taking the test do?

Seriously? What harm does it do? Did you skip SATs?

The SATs are necessary to get into college.  Taking the CAT (or whatever) in 3rd grade does....what?  If people are being offered an option to not take the test then I guess it's not all the necessary for the child in the first place.  I haven't been reading that much about it because my kid is at least 3 years from having to do any standardized testing, so there may be more to it.

That being said, I'm not against "labels."  Labels are what get kids help when they need it.

[bab]

I think the reasoning that a child being flagged as needing extra help is a silly reason to opt out. If your child needs help, let them get it.
I can understand why teachers are against being judged by how students perform on the test. That does not seem fair.

[pedanticwench]

^o)

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:19:38 GMT -5 kooshball said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:18:21 GMT -5 pagas said:

Standardized testing is one of the main reasons we want private school. I see no issue with a parent opting out.

If you can see why the teachers want to opt out, why can't you understand why parents might want to as well?

Well, if she thinks teachers want to opt out to protect their jobs then I could see why there might be some confusion on these tests.

When did I say teachers want to opt out? I'm talking about parents! OMG

[emsumm]

^ Those just aren't the reasons for the national opt-out movement, for parents or for teachers. Maybe you know some anomalies.

[speckledfrog]

So, this is actually about people not wanting their child to have a label. I can understand your frustration about that being considered a bad thing.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:22:34 GMT -5 emsumm said:

^ Those just aren't the reasons for the national opt-out movement, for parents or for teachers. Maybe you know some anomalies.

Yes, I do.

I'm not pro-testing, I think this whole teaching to the test movement is sad, but I'm not keeping my kid home in fear of poor results. I think that is really weird.

[bab]

OMG I can't with the quoting. I am specifically talking about patents keeping children home for fear of labeling. That's it.
This is strange to me but I guess it is not that strange at all.

[bab]

OK the kids I'm talking about are not rocking in the corner vomiting, their parents are worried that they won't do well so they are keeping them home.

[amberlyrose]

I'm really hoping more parents start opting out, even if it is for a stupid reason.
Plus, if parents are worried their kids will do bad, then maybe having a bad tester removed is good for the teacher's average.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:35:43 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:31:15 GMT -5 bab said:

OMG I can't with the quoting. I am specifically talking about patents keeping children home for fear of labeling. That's it.
This is strange to me but I guess it is not that strange at all.

Just curious, where are you seeing the fear of labeling as an argument?  Was there an article of some sort?
I ask as here,  this usually isn't the reason for opting out. Kids were labeled under systems prior to  CC as well, so it just seems weird. 
CA is also a year behind some of the other CC initial implementation states. So, there's no clarity yet on how results are going to be interpreted on a larger scale. 

I give up. LOL
My OP is about my own real life experience with people I know in my own neighborhood (as I have stated a few times already). There are no research articles or news stories to prove my point. I'm just talking about the chatter in my hood.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:23:18 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

So, this is actually about people not wanting their child to have a label. I can understand your frustration about that being considered a bad thing.

This comment is a tad much

[ohiowan]

There are adults at the school I'm teaching at now that did not pass the standardized test two years ago. They come back every time the test is offered to take the test--they won't get their diploma until they pass it.

If it came down to my child not graduating because he can't pass the test, or sending him out of state to live with grandma and grandpa where he didn't have to pass a test to graduate, that's the choice we'd make.

[hopecounts]

Mar 31, 2014 16:39:23 GMT -5 bab said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:35:43 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Just curious, where are you seeing the fear of labeling as an argument?  Was there an article of some sort?
I ask as here,  this usually isn't the reason for opting out. Kids were labeled under systems prior to  CC as well, so it just seems weird. 
CA is also a year behind some of the other CC initial implementation states. So, there's no clarity yet on how results are going to be interpreted on a larger scale. 

I give up. LOL
My OP is about my own real life experience with people I know in my own neighborhood (as I have stated a few times already). There are no research articles or news stories to prove my point. I'm just talking about the chatter in my hood.

Then edit your OP. The majority of parents who are opting out are doing it to protest the ridiculous Mount if testing going on in elementary school.
here kindy kids will have 4 weeks of testing.
damn straight no 5 yr old should deal with that.

[gretchenindisguise]

Ok, reading this thread is really pretty funny.

BAB: Parents are complaining the sky is blue today.
Others: No, it's raining.
BAB: No, in my neighborhood right now, it's a blue sky. Parents are complaining.
Others: Teachers are complaining about the blue sky because they don't have sunglasses.
BAB: I'm not talking about not having sunglasses, I'm talking about parents complaining the sky is sunny.
Others: I haven't seen any complaints about blue skies.
BAB: Are you in my neighborhood talking to the people I'm talking about? They're legit complaining about blue skies.
Others: It's raining here.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:57:09 GMT -5 hopecounts said:

Mar 31, 2014 16:39:23 GMT -5 bab said:

I give up. LOL
My OP is about my own real life experience with people I know in my own neighborhood (as I have stated a few times already). There are no research articles or news stories to prove my point. I'm just talking about the chatter in my hood.

Then edit your OP. The majority of parents who are opting out are doing it to protest the ridiculous Mount if testing going on in elementary school.
here kindy kids will have 4 weeks of testing.
damn straight no 5 yr old should deal with that.

Why does it need to be edited? Did you see the title "many in my area are opting out."
It isn't confusing.

[bab]

Mar 31, 2014 16:59:07 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Ok, reading this thread is really pretty funny.

BAB: Parents are complaining the sky is blue today.
Others: No, it's raining.
BAB: No, in my neighborhood right now, it's a blue sky. Parents are complaining.
Others: Teachers are complaining about the blue sky because they don't have sunglasses.
BAB: I'm not talking about not having sunglasses, I'm talking about parents complaining the sky is sunny.
Others: I haven't seen any complaints about blue skies.
BAB: Are you in my neighborhood talking to the people I'm talking about? They're legit complaining about blue skies.
Others: It's raining here.

I love you so hard.

[Doggy Mommy]

If enough people start opting out, something will need to be done to change the ridiculous amount of testing going on. Even the superintendent of the school district I teach in supports parents opting their kids out of testing. This has nothing to do with being a wuss.

This is not the same as taking the SAT. The SAT is under 4 hours long and I'm guessing most teenagers take it once or maybe twice. I teach 9 and 10 year olds. They have 3 reading tests (60 min each), 3 writing tests (60 min each), and 3 math tests (65 minutes each). This year they also have a social studies test. The first day is a whopping 110 minutes, and the second two days are 90 minutes. If you have any tips on keeping 9 and 10 year-old kids silent and still for a hundred and ten minutes, please let me know!

That's 845 minutes (over 14 hours) of actual test time, not counting giving directions, answering questions, and sample problems (about 10-15 minutes each test), and not to mention the time to get the kids ready for all of these tests, loss of instructional time, and inability to teach anything else during testing weeks because the kids are FRIED. This also doesn't count MAP tests (about 9 more hours each year).

Testing is Out. Of. Control.

[orval]

Anecdote here - I have a friend who opted out of testing for her third grader. She is advanced in her class and this is the test that determined the gifted program. The mom had a bad gifted experience growing up so she did not want her daughter to experience the same.
The school tested her anyway! The mom is pissed - just happened last week so not sure what she is going to do. Her theory is the school tested her so it would help increase their overall scores.

[themoneytree]

Apr 1, 2014 6:39:13 GMT -5 @booby said:

Mar 31, 2014 23:32:16 GMT -5 Doggy Mommy said:

If enough people start opting out, something will need to be done to change the ridiculous amount of testing going on. Even the superintendent of the school district I teach in supports parents opting their kids out of testing. This has nothing to do with being a wuss.

This is not the same as taking the SAT. The SAT is under 4 hours long and I'm guessing most teenagers take it once or maybe twice. I teach 9 and 10 year olds. They have 3 reading tests (60 min each), 3 writing tests (60 min each), and 3 math tests (65 minutes each). This year they also have a social studies test. The first day is a whopping 110 minutes, and the second two days are 90 minutes. If you have any tips on keeping 9 and 10 year-old kids silent and still for a hundred and ten minutes, please let me know!

That's 845 minutes (over 14 hours) of actual test time, not counting giving directions, answering questions, and sample problems (about 10-15 minutes each test), and not to mention the time to get the kids ready for all of these tests, loss of instructional time, and inability to teach anything else during testing weeks because the kids are FRIED. This also doesn't count MAP tests (about 9 more hours each year).

Testing is Out. Of. Control.

i don't see the big deal.  (ftr - no idea what standardized testing is like here, so not even sure if i am affected and to what extent).

i mean, it's school.  you learn, you get tested on what you learned.  

i can see why teachers want to opt out, but i guess i don't get why parents are in an uproar.  this is like the educational equivalent to people diagnosing themselves on the google.  just butt out and let people do their jobs.  or homeschool if you don't like it.

I am no expert by any means, but I disagree here - spending a tremendous amount of time and energy taking these type of tests which have a tendency to be a test of who can memorize stuff best, doesn't seem terribly helpful in actually TEACHING kids anything. I think some testing is good, mainly for practice for the important tests to come, but all the testing seems excessive to me..... as does the amount of homework kids seem to be getting these days. It seems counter productive to spend so much time focused on getting good test results over and over again rather than focussing on expanding knowledge and fostering a love of learning.

[Jalapeñomel]

We have testing today. That's all I have to add to this convo.