PSSA 'opt-out' movement growing

Staff reporter Kari Andren has an article in the Trib, Pennsylvania parents take stand against standardized tests.

As students prepare to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams this week, a growing number of parents are refusing to let their children take the high-stakes standardized exams aimed at showing which schools are excelling or failing.

We can see the what is at stake with the PSSA scores.  Just ask any administrator at Mt. Lebanon as I mentioned here. PSSAs - No pressure here

The performance on the PSSAs are the primary metrics used by the
Superintendent and Board to evaulate how the principals leadership has impacted student achievement.

With Mt. Lebanon prepping kids for the PSSAs, we can see the pay-off in the Pittsburgh Business Times Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools. We've moved up to Number 2 in the State.  Evan though it is budget crunch time, jobs are secure and raises are guaranteed.

Ms. Andren had contacted me, in hopes that I could steer her to Mt. Lebanon parents, but none were willing to come forward.

Dr. Timothy Slekar, founder of United Opt Out and Lebo Citizens commenter, did speak with Ms. Andren.

Slekar excluded his son, Luke, from standardized tests three years ago and helped found United Opt Out, a national group that protested standardized testing this weekend in Washington with a sit-in outside the Department of Education and a march to the White House.

A few opt-outs does not impact Mt. Lebanon's scores, but if enough parents opt-out their kids, we will fail to meet AYP, or Adequate Yearly Progress.  What does that mean? Read more here Some Children Left Behind or here About making AYP for students with disabilities UPDATED 2x or here Yes, he is very deserving. UPDATED

Parents, make sure your kids get enough sleep this week.  There is quite a bit at stake here.

PSSAs - No pressure here

Not only is it budget time, but PSSA testing is next week. Eleanor Chute and Mary Niederberger had this article, Opinion story on opting out of PSSA exams hits nerve with parents in today's PG.

In Mt. Lebanon there also is a small increase in the number of parents opting out of the PSSAs. At Lincoln Elementary, one of the district's seven elementary schools, six students were opted out of the tests for religious reasons, said district spokeswoman Cissy Bowman.

Religious reasons are the only reasons for opting out under state law.

Ask your kids if they see posters like, "Rock the PSSAs" or "Be a Star Test taker!" Parents, did you get an email from your child's school like this one?

       From: Mellon Middle School <noreply@mtlsd.net>

       Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 14:30:14 -0400

       To: Mellon Middle School Parent

       Subject: PSSA Testing next Week!

[Attachments to this email can be found by clicking on the links at the bottom]

Hello Mellon Parents/Guardians:

I'm just writing to remind everyone that next week is the Reading and Mathematics PSSA testing. This is one of the more important testing sessions for us in terms of our building showing what our students can do and ultimately achieving "Adequate Yearly Progress" as determined by the PA Dept. of Education.

As always, a good nights sleep and a good breakfast have always shown to help our students do better on these exams. A snack will be provided for students during the testing.

See the attached flyer on our Physical Education Department's program "Get Pumped for PSSA's!" This is a chance for students to participate in some physical activity the morning of the tests. Research has shown that physical activity and exercise helps to get the brain going.

As always, if you have any questions regarding PSSA testing, contact our guidance office or principal's office.


Attachment: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bw4HgUhOxt4KT2RSU3g0TDNieXM/edit?usp=sharing

Why do you suppose the kids are being given snacks and asked to join the games and activities in the AM? The poster says that these tests are important. For whom? The students? Nope. Check this out.

http://www.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/1215934/mt_lebanon_sd_pdf_(2)

There it is in black and white:

The performance on the PSSAs are the primary metrics used by the
Superintendent and Board to evaulate how the principals leadership has impacted student achievement.

The PSSA scores are important to the principals and my guess, our super Super because that is what puts food on their tables. High stakes testing are harming teachers, students, and schools.

According to the PG article, there will be an event in Washington, DC tomorrow

for

the Occupy the Department of Education 2.0, an event which is connected to an effort called "United Opt Out National."
Its website describes the organization this way: "We opt out of high stakes testing and we resist all market-based reforms that seek to privatize and destroy public education."

Is it too late to opt out? For how to opt out, click Had enough with PSSA testing? UPDATED

PA Department of Education's rebuttal

Since I posted Kathy Newman's letter to the editor, Why I won't let my son take the PSSA, I thought I would pass on the PED's rebuttal. Needless to say, Tim Eller is taking a beating from the PG online comments.  

After the indictment of the Atlanta Superintendent for racketeering in a huge cheating scandal, PSSA or high stakes testing has been a hot topic.

PSSAs are valid

April 2, 2013 12:10 am

Before addressing the flaws of Kathy M. Newman's thinking ("Why I Won't Let My Son Take the PSSA," Forum, March 31), a correction is necessary: Gov. Tom Corbett didn't cut $1 billion from education. Since taking office, the governor has increased state support of public schools by $1.25 billion.

The writer's critique of the PSSAs is quite disturbing. Expecting educators to be held accountable for student performance is unacceptable? Expecting students to graduate with the skills and knowledge to be successful in life is unheard of?

I think Ms. Newman is a bit off the mark. The PSSAs have been in place for more than a decade and now that they will be used, in part, to evaluate educators, now is the time to opt students out?

As a taxpayer with two children in public schools, I want to know if my taxes are being used to educate not only my kids but all students since one day they will take the reins of this country and it's imperative to ensure their success.

My kids complain about taking the PSSAs, but they also complain about quizzes, unit tests and projects. Should we abolish all forms of assessment?

The writer forgot to mention that the Department of Education applied for a waiver to provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Once approved, adequate yearly progress will no longer be measured. In fact, under the waiver application, it would not be used for this year's assessments.

Public schools must be held accountable to students, parents and taxpayers. If not the PSSAs or some other assessment, how else would Ms. Newman suggest we ensure that the $27 billion -- local, state and federal taxes -- Pennsylvania taxpayers put into K-12 public education is being used to educate our kids?

TIM ELLER
Press Secretary
Pa. Department of Education
Harrisburg


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/letters/pssas-are-valid-681759/#ixzz2PLFsa8iG

Had enough with PSSA testing? UPDATED

Perhaps it is because I don't have any kids in school, but I was not aware that parents and children have the right to opt out of PSSA testing. There is so much emphasis on PSSAs, that teachers seem to be teaching to the test. Our school board doesn't want to listen to parents who have concerns over the TERC Investigations math program.  Based on some reports that parents have shared with me, the school board won't even consider changing anything unless the PSSA math scores go down.  It seems as though that is all MTLSD cares about.

I found some websites that may be helpful to parents who are not aware of their rights. Here is a How-to on Opting Out in Pennsylvania.

So before March Madness (PSSA testing) begins please take some time to seriously consider the future of your child’s education. Remember, our children only get one chance at a quality education. The PSSAs and the culture of high stakes testing have denied a generation of children a quality education. It is time to put an end to this punitive system. It’s time to allow our teachers to get back to what they do best—teach. It’s time to demand that our public schools be given back to us. It’s time to make sure our children receive the education they deserve. It’s time to OPT OUT!

Sample Letter

         To: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net        

         Dear Dr. Steinhauer,

Pursuant to Pennsylvania Code Title 22 Chapter 4, section 4.4 (d)(5) I am hereby exercising my right as a parent to have my child excused from any State standardized testing because of religious and philosophical beliefs.

Are there any repercussions for Opting Out?  Quite the contrary according to Timothy Slekar. Timothy D. Slekar is an Associate Professor of teacher education and Head of the Division of Education, Human Development, and Family Studies at Penn State Altoona.

Dr. Slekar began his career in education as a 2nd grade teacher in Williamsburg, VA. He also taught 5th grade in York, PA. Dr. Slekar attended the University of Maryland at College Park where he earned his Ph. D. in social studies education. During his studies Dr. Slekar worked with 7th and 8th grade teachers in the city of Baltimore. Dr. Slekar has published research in some of the top educational research journals (Teacher Education Quarterly, Theory and Research in Social Education, Journal of Thought). Dr. Slekar also co-hosts a local talk radio show in central PA (Tuesdays at 11:00 am eastern on WRTA 1240 am). The show is devoted to teachers and teaching in public schools. Dr Slekar and Dr. Shaun Johnson also host At The Chalk Face (BlogTalkRadio) Progressive Education Talk. Contact Tim at tds12@psu.edu or 412-735-9720.

Dr. Slekar is one of the administrators of unitedoptout.com.

ABOUT US

Members of this site are parents, educators, students and social activists who are dedicated to the elimination of high stakes testing in public education. We use this site to collaborate, exchange ideas, support one another, share information and initiate collective local and national actions to end the reign of fear and terror promoted by the high stakes testing agenda.

Pine-Richland School District offers Frequently Asked Questions about the PSSA on their website and may be helpful to the concerned Mt. Lebanon parents who don't want their children's scores that their $$ and extra work with tutoring might have influenced.  If the School District won't work with you, consider opting out of the PSSA. It is your right.

Update February 6, 2013 3:15 PM  There is a Rally For Public Education this weekend featuring Dr. Tim Slekar.  Find out WHY you would opt out and what these high stakes tests are doing to public education.

Rally for Public Education! by YinzerThing One year ago over 250 people Rallied for Public Education in the middle of a February snowstorm. This year we will do it again -- even bigger, but inside where it's warmer. Remember these fabulous students who spoke about the effects of budget cuts on their schools? They helped spark an entire grassroots movement. Tia Torres speaks at the 2012 Rally for Public Education Students from the Arts Greenhouse program speak at the 2012 Rally for Public Education. Our public schools are still staggering under massive state budget cuts. Students in Pennsylvania have lost almost 20,000 of their teachers in the past two years. Our kids have lost music, art, library, languages, tutoring programs, full-day Kindergarten and more. Here in Southwest PA, our children are sitting in classes with 35 and even 39 students. And this year they will take even more high-stakes, standardized tests, spending several months of the school year on nothing but test prep and test taking. Enough is enough! Come RALLY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION on Sunday, February 10, 2013. 3PM at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty (5941 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206). This is about equity, social justice, and a great public education for all our children. Join hundreds of other volunteer parents, students, teachers, and concerned community members who have been making a real difference in the grassroots movement for our public schools as we: Celebrate what we've achieved this past year working together Respond to Gov. Corbett's new budget proposal (which he will announce on Feb. 5th) Issue an urgent Call to Action for our public schools Featuring: Performances by student groups, Anne Feeney, the Squirrel Hillbillies, and more! Community conversation with Dr. Tim Slekar (head of the education department at Penn State Altoona, host of the education radio program At the Chalkface, and a national leader of United Opt Out) Special free showing of the new pro-public education documentary, "Brooklyn Castle," under special arrangement with the producers We already have confirmation from local legislators who are planning to come as well as key community leaders. For example, we are honored to learn that civil rights leader Carl Redwood will be joining us. The media is invited and this is going to be big. Please mark your calendars now and help us spread the word: go to our Facebook event page to RSVP and use the “invite friends” button to reach out to your networks. Let’s see if we can make our invitation list grow to over 1,000. We can do it! And I can’t wait to Rally with you. YinzerThing | January 28, 2013 at 12:23 pm | Categories: advocacy event: Take Action!, Pennsylvania State Budget, Public Education | URL: http://wp.me/p288Ox-ox Comment    See all comments