Dive Brief:
- New Jersey Education Commissioner David Hespe says the number of students participating in the Common Core-aligned PARCC assessment is "very strong" despite optouts, though the state won't release official participation numbers just yet.
- While Hespe told NJ.com that an average of 250,000 state students have logged on and completed the exam, it's still hard to ignore the reportedly small but very vocal contingency that has opted out.
- At Princeton Public Schools, for example, an estimated 800 out of 1,164 students in grades 9-10 sat the test out.
Dive Insight:
Hespe blamed the opt-out numbers on the fact that students are not required to take the exam to graduate. This, however, will be changing in 2019, when PARCC will become a pre-requisite for a diploma. He also said more people will probably be keen toward the test next year once the state receives this year's scores. According to Hespe, the score will come with more feedback than previous years, which will probably entice parents and students to support it.
The issue with the exams is a funny one: The complaint about students not taking the exam is that teachers will not be able to evaluate what a student has learned and where they stand, but it would appear teachers are also among those most dissatisfied with the exam and encouraging students to opt out. This is especially worth considering since good teachers should be able to evaluate student progress and understanding throughout the school year with or without high-stakes tests.