Seattle Schools and "Refusal" to Take Tests
I asked SPS for a comment on what the policies are for parents who want to opt their students out of standardized testing. (Although MAP is not mentioned, these answers probably apply.) Here is the reply (and I'm happy to see this district not being punitive): Currently for the MSP, we do not have “opt out” but rather parent or student refusal. (The language from the Washington State Assessment Coordinators Manual is at the bottom of this email.) For parents who refuse to have their child tested – they may choose to keep them home in the morning of the test dates or if they come to school, they will be supervised but not have individualized instruction. Supervision could be helping in the library or assistance in K-2 since they do not test MSP. The parent refusal must be initiated by the parent and not a teacher suggestion. We do not have the “sit and stare” policy. Because it is parent initiated, they know their child will not be testing. They will not go to the o...