Why our family refused the PARCC and why yours should too.
Our decision to refuse the PARCC was not one made lightly. We love our teachers and truly appreciate all that our district has done to minimize the impact of the PARCC administration on our students. In fact, our decision to refuse the PARCC was due to our belief that Haddonfield’s teachers are highly skilled professionals who do an outstanding job in an increasingly difficult environment, and are ultimately the people best suited to assess our children’s academic performance. Furthermore, after months of research on high-stakes standardized testing and current education “reform,” we acted on our convictions rather than participating in a testing system that is deeply flawed.
We are heartsick when hearing parents or officials state, “What’s the big deal? We all took standardized tests growing up.” Today’s high-stakes tests, including the PARCC, are nothing like what we took either in quantity, frequency or consequence. Consider for a moment under the current New Jersey testing schedule, a public school third grader will be required to take 21 separate standardized tests between now and grade 11 and the associated financial, instructional and emotional costs. It is far and away more testing than any parent was given as a child and the consequences are greater: high school graduation, state and federal funding, and teacher evaluations.
We hope that your readership will do their own research, take a practice PARCC and critically evaluate their choices.
Some questions we asked (among many, many others):
• The PARCC started with 22 member states, now it is down to 11. Why have other states chosen to refuse or postpone the PARCC?
• Why are colleges moving away from using standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT when evaluating candidates yet we are increasing our use and reliance on them?
- What will this test tell you that your child’s teacher doesn’t already know?
- Why are areas with high poverty and racial minorities so strongly correlated with standardized test scores? How does this testing affect public schools with high numbers of special needs students?
- Who stands to make making money off the PARCC administration? Who stands to make more money when our children “fail” the test?
We respect that the school is required by state law to administer the test, but as parents, we are not required by law to have our children participate. Refusing the PARCC in no way means you are attacking the school. You are, in fact, supporting our teachers and our schools by protesting state and federal control over what should rightfully be at the discretion of local districts. You are also taking a stand for those who are most likely to suffer under the current system of high-stakes standardized tests: the poor, racial minorities and special needs students.
We fully agree that the real battle for public schools is at the legislative levels. State and federal laws are interfering with local districts’ abilities to select assessment tools, develop curriculum and evaluate teachers. Permanent change will only come when concerned citizens contact elected representatives and make their voices louder than those with deep pockets and for-profit motives. Refusing the test is one of the few things a parent can do to compete for legislative attention with the likes of Pearson, the for-profit company who wrote and will score the PARCC.
Last year an estimated 60,000 plus New York students refused the state’s Common Core aligned standardized test. New York State has now put plans to use the PARCC on hold. This year over 530 Chicago public schools have refused the PARCC.
This is our chance to restore control of public education back to the local school districts. Evidence-based research demonstrates that high-stakes standardized testing is not in the best interests of all our children. Consider refusing the PARCC. Call your state and congressional representatives to ask their positions on high-stakes standardized test.
Ivan and Stephanie LeGrand
