Title: Fact Sheet 21-4: Facts for Parents on Opting Out of State Tests
Headings: Fact Sheet 21-4: Facts for Parents on Opting Out of State Tests For 2020-21
Fact Sheet 21-4: Facts for Parents on Opting Out of State Tests For 2020-21
HOW DO YOU OPT YOUR CHILD OUT OF THE STATE TESTS
FEDERAL REQUIREMENT FOR TESTING
CONSEQUENCES OF OPT-OUTS

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NYSUT’s position continues to be that standardized tests are not the best way to measure a student’s development, and they are especially unreliable right now. NYSUT urged the State Education Department (SED) to request a federal waiver of the testing requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The tests required by this act include the grade 3-8 ELA and math tests. NYSUT’s request pointed to the difficult year students and teachers have had and the fact many students are learning either in a remote or hybrid model. Without standardized instructional modes there should not be standardized tests at the end of the year. The State Education Department developed two draft waiver requests for the federal Department of Education. One would eliminate the requirement to administer the state tests used for accountability purposes. The second, would decouple the assessments from the accountability system. This means the assessments would still be given but they would not be used to create new accountability lists using the 2020-21 school year results. There would be no consequence for districts that have high opt-outs for the 2020-21 school year.