Last Bell - Suspended in Seattle - We Stood Up to Unfair Testing

[tonysam]

This is a classic case of school district administrators believing not only are they above the law but that they ARE the law:

Although the test was modified, it measured our students achievement against grade level standards. Because our students are cognitively at ages six months to two years, the assessment was not at their level. It had nothing to do with the goals and objectives designed for them.

Our goal might be to teach them to hold a spoon or recognize their name in print, and the test covered fractions. In fact, one student would start crying every time we got to the part on fractions.

So last year, we described the test to the parents. They said it was ridiculous. One said, “If I had known you were doing this, I would have told you to stop.” Another said, “I’m sick of tests that tell what my child can’t do. I want to see what he can do.”

We did our own research and found that parents do have a right to refuse state assessments. Since the parents had expressed their opinions to us, we thought this was all that was needed. So we didn’t give the test.

The way the district sees it, we were given a directive and didn’t follow it. The reason why held little significance to them.

More

[mzteris]

1. i agree there should be different standards of -

or NO - testing of these students.

Evidently, however, WA state has a format for requesting said waiver:

WAC 392-501-700 General description. RCW 28A.155.045 authorizes the superintendent of public instruction to develop guidelines for waiving specific requirements in RCW 28A.655.061 pertaining to the graduation requirements and the state assessment system, and to determine appropriate assessment alternatives through which to assess identified students. http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/AlternativeAssessment/pubdocs/AwarenessLevelWaiverRegs.pdf


My question would be - why didn't these teachers know about this waiver? If this is their area, they should know. In fact, the info should be available to all in a parent/student/school- type "handbook" or guideline.

[FBaggins]

2. The key there is "we did our own research"

There can be consequences to "researching" something and acting on it... if you get it wrong.

You don't get to invent your own process. Maybe it should not be that way, but any experienced teacher knows that it IS that way.