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.
To protect your child: For many students, the Big Test can be very stressful. To improve education for all students: Opting out is an effective way to protest the overuse and misuse of standardized tests, which forces schools to focus on the demands of the tests instead of the needs of students.
Send the principal a letter saying you don't want your child to take the tests. 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.
Dear Principal Name, I wanted to let you know that my child, name, will not take part in the name the test this year. We ask that you make arrangements for him/her to have a productive educational experience during the testing period. Thank you for all you do.
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.
States are required by federal law to administer math and ELA (English Language Arts) tests to every public school student in 3rd-8th grade. However, it is your right as a parent to refuse these tests on behalf of your child.
Despite the enormous pressure parents and students are under to participate in high-stakes testing, you have the right to refuse. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “OPT OUT” OF TESTING? It means refusing to take a state standardized test, such as MCAS or ACCESS. Typically, parents are the ones opting out their children.
Your Rights Parents and guardians of 3rd-8th graders in New York State have the right to refuse to allow their children to participate in this testing with no adverse consequences to their child, their child's teachers, or their child's school.