For Immediate Release: July 23, 2015
Contact: Renée Rybak Lang, renee.lang@nasbe.org, 703-740-4841

NASBE Policy Update: State Boards Can Bring Clarity to Opt Out Controversy

Alexandria, Va. — As parents increasingly ask to opt their children out of standardized tests, state boards of education are sometimes unsure whether and how to respond. A new NASBE Policy Update highlights successful policy strategies for addressing opt out requests and how state boards can use this opportunity to communicate the benefits of testing and improve the public’s understanding of test-based accountability.

In “Responding to Opt Out Requests: The Opportunity for State Boards,” NASBE’s Sarah-Jane Lorenzo finds assessment opt out policies are a mixed bag, and few states have issued clear, comprehensive guidance to help parents understand their test refusal rights. States do not always post accessible information about their policies online, Lorenzo writes.

Many national advocacy groups that encourage opt outs do not provide details about the state and local consequences of nonparticipation. For example, Maine and Minnesota let parents refuse assessment but still require students to pass standardized tests to graduate. Schools are also obligated to test 95 percent of all students under federal law. These seemingly contradictory requirements only add to parents’ confusion about opt out consequences.

But state boards can work with school districts to supply parents with critical policy details, and in doing so they can increase understanding of the benefits of standardized tests. “Board members can leverage their position to raise awareness of policies,” Lorenzo writes. “Their guidance and communication can help parents understand how data from standardized tests helps students, schools, and districts get the resources they need.”

Download and read “Responding to Opt Out Requests: The Opportunity for State Boards.”

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, promote excellence in the education of all students, and ensure responsible lay governance of education. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

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