How do I opt my child out of

standardized testing in Douglas County?

-Write an opt out letter to the principal of

your child's school stating your refusal. Find

sample letters at www.UnitedOptOut.com.

-Your opt out letter should specify any or ALL

standardized tests you wish to refuse, including

district-created interim assessments. Some

tests currently administered in DCSD include

MAP, PARCC, CMAS, TCAP, STAR, AIMSWeb,

CoAlt, ACCESS, CogAt, and more. Ask your

childs teacher for more information.

-Opt out soon! Many schools start testing

during the first few weeks of school. Ask your

childs teacher for this years testing schedule.

Your children are tested more frequently than

you realize.

-Dont be bullied! The US Supreme Court has

ruled that parents have the right to direct the

education of their children. As a result,

thousands of parents opt out of high stakes

testing each year without any consequence.

There are many resources and people willing to

help you!

For MUCH more information on Common Core,

high stakes testing and Opt Out, please visit

the following websites:

www.angelaengel.com

www.unitedoptout.com

www.resistthetest.org

www.parentsacrossamerica.org

www.thecbe.org

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to opt out?

-Opting out means you refuse high stakes

testing (HST) for your child. This can

include district, state and federally

mandated standardized testing.

Why is this important now?

-Public education across America is facing

unprecedented attacks by people and

groups who wish to destroy our public

schools in an effort to privatize

education. Schools are suffering while

testing companies are making billions.

Why does opting out matter?

-The privatization movement needs your

childs testing data in order to succeed.

By opting out, parents withhold this data

and send a message that they will not

participate in the corporate reform of

education. Opting out supports public

schools and their teachers.

Will opting out hurt the teacher?

-We are awaiting clarification from DCSD

about specific impact on teacher

evaluations. We know that teachers can

assess student progress better than these

tests can. Opting out reinforces the

important work that teachers do.

Will opting out hurt the school?

-The CDE has the discretion to lower

school performance ratings (bully tactic),

but ratings are not tied to school funding.

Will opting out hurt my child?

-No. They wont be penalized, be held back or jeopardize college opportunities. Colleges do not consider these tests (TCAP, CMAS) for admission. Current research indicates that GPA is a better predictor of

success in college.

Why OPT OUT of standardized testing?

A guide for parents/guardians of

Douglas County School District

students

Voices for Public Education

Colorado RAVE (Re-igniting Association

Values for Educators)

A QUICK LOOK AT THE ISSUES

It is estimated that the State of Colorado spends more than $37,000,000 annually to prepare, administer and grade the CSAP/TCAP.

Millions of dollars are spent on testing while classes like art, music, language and PE are being eliminated.

Since the implementation of standardized testing, the number of students per teacher has increased.

Our children spend what amounts to WEEKS preparing specifically for standardized subject tests rather than learning diverse material.

For the 2014-15 DCSD school year, only fall break and spring break are designated as non-testing weeks.

Standardized testing now begins in kindergarten, or sometimes in pre-K.

The Common Core State Standards will lead to EVEN MORE TESTING starting this year (CMAS, PARCC).

Newer tests are administered electronically, meaning MORE money will be spent on testing equipment rather than on students/classrooms.

Your childs personal information and testing data are now available to third parties, and can be sold to private companies (Data Mining).

DCSD is creating its own district standardized tests, which will only increase the time students are testing and not learning.

Research shows that standardized tests are not accurate measures of a students learning, especially for students with language barriers or

learning difficulties.

I realize teachers are afraid and the only way we

have been able to get any traction is by refusing the

test. If we do not opt out, we will lose all leverage

and things will get worse. Angela Engel, co-

founder, Executive Director, Uniting 4 Kids

"There is no federal law prohibiting a parent from

opting their child out of CSAP... Students who do

not test, including those who do so due to parent

refusal, are counted as non-participants when

determining participation rates for state and federal

accountability purposes" -Jo O'Brien, Assistant

Commissioner of Standards, Colorado Department

of Education (CDE)

School academic performance ratings (SAR) will no

longer be assigned for Colorado schools. The

Education Accountability Act of 2009 (SB 09-163)

repealed previous SAR law. Negative weights for

Unsatisfactory and No Score percentages are not in

effect anymore. -James McIntosh, Director of

Student Assessment, CDE

Why opt out?

Opting out of high stakes testing is the

best action parents can take to help resist

the current takeover of our public schools.

Common Core and the resulting artificial

accountability through high stakes testing

are slowly dismantling public education. It

has denied teachers the freedom to meet

the diverse needs of their students. It has

also robbed students of creativity, critical

thinking and collaborative learning

opportunities. Excellent educators are

losing heart and leaving the profession.

This national movement is about saving

the teaching profession and public

education.

What is Common Core (CCSS)?

Common Core State Standards are

education standards developed in 2009 by

mostly non-educators and big government.

Full implementation is scheduled for 2014-

2015, and is to be measured by a series of

standardized tests. These tests, referred

to as High Stakes Testing, have significant

consequences for students, teachers and

schools. Just a few criticisms of Common

Core include:

It is not developmentally

appropriate for young children and

there is no research to support it.

The dramatic increase in testing

means much less time teaching and

learning a diverse curriculum.

Student test data and personal

information are stored in massive

databases and sold without parent

consent.

The required testing diverts money

away from the classrooms and funnels it

to corporations for profit.