Families & the Community Opinion

Inside Opt-Out

The Pushback Against Testing

This Commentary special collection offers a range of perspectives on parents’ opting their children out of tests, from researchers who are studying the phenomenon, to parents who have long embraced testing boycotts, to teachers whose opinions on the subject vary widely.

Education How Could Opting Out Affect School Ratings?
See how a relatively small number of homogenous students opting out could tip a school’s rating into a different score bracket.
June 9, 2015
BRIC ARCHIVE
Jonathan Bouw for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion The Power of Parents Is on Display in Opt-Outs
Resistance to mandated tests, especially from parents of children with special needs, is reaching a breaking point in many districts, writes Rebecca Page Johnson.
Rebecca Page Johnson, June 9, 2015
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4 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Bob Dahm for Education Week
Federal Opinion When Students Opt Out, What Are the Policy Implications?
The opt-out movement has an impact on K-12 accountability, but it's complicated, write researchers Jessica K. Beaver and Lucas Westmaas.
Jessica K. Beaver & Lucas Westmaas, June 9, 2015
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4 min read
Fred and Catherine Hamel pose with their daughter, Teddi, who has completed 12 years of public schooling. She has earned an undergraduate degree in history and is now an outdoor educator with the international nonprofit organization Outward Bound.
Fred and Catherine Hamel pose with their daughter, Teddi, who has completed 12 years of public schooling. She has earned an undergraduate degree in history and is now an outdoor educator with the international nonprofit organization Outward Bound.
Hamel Family Photo
Assessment Opinion Q&A: An Early Opt-Out Talks About School Without Tests
Twelve years after opting their children out of testing, Fred and Catherine Hamel interview their daughter on her experience.
Fred L. Hamel & Catherine Ross Hamel, June 9, 2015
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5 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Nip Rogers for Education Week
Assessment Opinion Test-Taking 'Compliance' Does Not Ensure Equity
Parents have a civil right to opt out of testing when children's K-12 needs go unmet, write Judith Browne Dianis, John H. Jackson, and Pedro Noguera.
Judith Browne Dianis, John H. Jackson & Pedro A. Noguera, June 9, 2015
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3 min read