Superintendent Says State Tests Are Valuable

This is the text of the letter that Clarkstown Superintendent Dr. J. Thomas Morton sent to parents in response to criticisms being raised about the upcoming State Assessment tests in ELA, Math and Science.  

Good Afternoon Parents and Staff:

I am writing to you in response to a movement occurring throughout the state and our community regarding the upcoming New York State Assessments in grades 3-8. It is our understanding that some parents are under the impression that on the day of these tests, they can send their child to school with a letter stating that their child will be in school on the days of the ELA, Math or Science test, but will refuse to take the test. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that State tests be administered in English Language Arts and mathematics in Grades 3-8 and in science at least once during grades 3-5 and 6-9. According to the New York State Offices of Testing and Accountability and the Commissioner of Education, state tests are considered part of a “course of study” and part of the program requirements for students in grades 3-8. These assessments provide useful information about your child’s progress and the progress of the district in preparing all children to meet the demands of the standards adopted by the Board of Regents. Data from these tests help schools and districts to make decisions about curriculum, scheduling, support services, enrichment opportunities, allocation of resources, and staffing. With this in mind, I strongly advise you against any plan to prevent your child from taking these tests. 

Any action to prevent your child from participating in these state tests has repercussions for your child’s school and the district. New York State expects a 95% or higher participation rate in the administration of these tests. If your child’s school or our district falls below this threshold, we run the risk of being designated as not meeting the expectations established by the state and federal government. As you are aware, this information is publicized. In addition, our district receives and depends upon federal funds such as Title I, which supports schools economically and Title IIA, which is a primary source for professional development. A negative designation alters the way and manner in which these funds can be used in the district. In essence, not meeting the 95% participation rate will result in our district having to shift funds away from certain programs or schools. Below are a few other important points that the New York State Offices of Testing and Accountability shared with us:

• An exemption letter is not acceptable and cannot be honored. A parent may not write a letter invoking the “999” code used to indicate that their son/daughter was not tested. This code is an internal code from New York State used in specific situations dictated by the state. Again, these “non-tested” students impact the 95% participation rate that is required by New York State. 
• If a student is in school, a test must be placed in front of the student. This also applies to the make up test dates. We can not coerce a student to take it or penalize the student for not taking it. 
• If a student refuses to take the test, he or she is expected to sit in the room with the test booklet in front of him/her for the full time of the testing period. The student may not have a book or other materials anytime during the testing period even though he or she is not taking the test. The only thing that the student may have to read during the testing period is the test booklet in front of them. We are not allowed to move the student to another location or room and provide alternate activities for them while others take the test. 
• Only in the case of an extreme emergency should a parent remove their son/daughter from the school after testing has begun. 

While we appreciate efforts to bring attention to the emphasis placed on testing by New York State, an action to protest by preventing your child from taking these tests hurts us and our children. The weeks and days leading up to the tests always produce anxiety in all of us. We want to spend these few days concentrating on ways to create a positive and comfortable testing environment for the children of our district. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Sincerely,
J. Thomas Morton. Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools