Dear Commons Community,

While estimates are stilling being calculated, it seems that the opt-out movement in New York State is alive and well again this year even though a number of reforms and revisions to the tests were made for the 2016 cycle. One estimate has it that approximately 15 percent of all eligible students opted out of one or more standardized tests during the recent April testing period.  The NYS Allies for Public Education are conducting a school district by school district tally of the number and percentage of students opting out of standardized tests.  According to their estimates as of April 11, 2016:

“With 51.4% of districts reporting, 171,808 students refused statewide for an estimated 15.2% of eligible students. An estimated 326 districts have exceeded 5% refusals.”

These are pretty high numbers.  NYS education policy makers have a problem on their hands and will have to do a lot more to address parents’ concerns about the standardized testing policies promulgated for the past dozen or so years by the New York State Board of Regents.

Tony