It could be as basic as: “I want to let you know we do not want our child, name, to take part in the name the standardized exam this year. Please arrange for him or her to have a productive educational experience during the testing period.”Some states or districts have specific forms.
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states where the right of parents to opt their children out of state-mandated testing is written into law. That right is described in 022 PA Code 4.4. This law says that you may only opt out on religious grounds.
The Case for Opting Out If testing causes your child undue stress, or your child has an issue such as dyslexia that makes a timed test a living nightmare, then putting your child through testing feels like cold, hard punishment that they don't deserve. My feeling? Opt them out.
How can I opt out my child? Send the principal a letter saying you don't want your child to take the test. For example: “Dear —, I have asked my child, name, not to take part in the name the exam this year.
Standardized tests measure little of what parents and others want children to learn and experience in schools. They do not measure creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership or empathy. Many schools narrow their focus to the tested subjects of math and reading. Other important subjects are sidelined.
Con 1: Standardized tests only determine which students are good at taking tests. Con 2: Standardized tests are racist, classist, and sexist. Con 3: Standardized tests scores are not predictors of future success. Con 4: Standardized tests are unfair metrics for teacher evaluations.
STAAR tests are disproportionately damaging to Black and Brown children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In the past, STAAR test scores have been used to shut down schools in Black and Brown communities.
The Case for Opting Out If testing causes your child undue stress, or your child has an issue such as dyslexia that makes a timed test a living nightmare, then putting your child through testing feels like cold, hard punishment that they don't deserve. My feeling? Opt them out.