Dive Brief:
- Though state law requires California public schools to inform parents about their right to opt children out of standardized testing, a template test notification letter posted online for district use fails to include opt-out language.
- This is the second year in a row that California has declined to include such language in an ongoing attempt to discourage students from declining to participate.
- The state wants to "encourage as much participation as possible," California Department of Education spokesman Peter Tira told EdSource, since its opt-out percentage is likely to surpass the federal limit and incur sanctions that have a substantial impact on federal funding.
Dive Insight:
California might be wise to omit the opt-out information, but it's unclear whether such a move is entirely legal, EdSource says. For example, a group called the Concerned Parents of California says it sued two districts, Walnut Valley Unified and Conejo Valley Unified, for excluding opt-out information last year.
Some California districts have taken it upon themselves to tailor the letter template in order to include their own opt-out advisories for parents.
Still, it's unclear whether the template that can be found online will remain in its current form. Cindy Kazanis, the director of the California Department of Education’s Analysis, Measurement, and Accountability Reporting Division, also told EdSource that the state plans to send 21 districts below the 95% participation threshold a letter, though nothing has happened yet.