How did the PARCC go for your child today?

As a kid with a sophomore in HS I was told opting out will not "hurt" him and he could (possibly) use that time to get other work done. I'm thinking about it simply because if he can use time for school work that is more important for him. So - how would he "opt out"? Anyone know?

@algebra2, my understanding is that all you have to do is send a letter via email to Ms. Aaron, per Mr. Memoli's email letter to parents explaining what needed to be done.

I sent an email to Ms. Aaron, and she acknowledged it with a reiteration of the rules - the students must still show up on time, with no electronic devices, and can only bring a book. I asked about pens/pencils/paper, and she responded that only books were allowed.

Meanwhile, my son is concerned that he'll have nothing to "show" on the day the testing starts to indicate that he has permission to not take the test, so if anyone can confirm that their kids did not need to show any kind of paper exemption on testing day, please weigh in here.

They do not need to show anything. @algebra2, I can send you my letter if you're interested. But he won't be able to get any work done because, as jasper said, only books are allowed.

There are some strange rules; like the only books allowed one. I don't know why that would matter in a class full of students not taking the test. Kids also need to be escorted to the bathroom if they need to go during the test. My daughter's class, the one that mistakenly took two days worth of tests yesterday had nothing to do today, had their math class for an hour or so and then horsed around for another hour and a half. I had thought she would get her reading finished for her LA class but no such luck. She said the kids were loud and horsing around.

mcgoey said:

There are some strange rules; like the only books allowed one. I don't know why that would matter in a class full of students not taking the test.

The letter from Mr. Memoli said that the students would be reading in the same room as the test-takers, not a separate location.

Re: why only books allowed... So that kids aren't sitting on Instagram or texting each other every five minutes? What other "work" (if reading a book is such a waste of time in, of all places, a school) should they be doing?

He will take the test. If he could use the time to get work done I would opt out but that would be the only reason. Thanks for the info.

Ctraska - reading isn't a waste of time but for my son - if he could work on annotating Act 2 of Macbeth I would say it was worth his time or make up some missing Physics lab or work on his upcoming History paper. But to sit and read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for the hundredth time - he is better off taking the PARCC.

My son was lobbying not to take the PARCC, saying he had heard from teachers that it was designed for you to fail, failing would be emotionally scarring for him (ha!), etc. He missed thurs and Fri due to illness, so i asked his counselor if he DID skip the PARCC, could he use that time for make up work, but she said that, unfortunately, that was not allowed. Only books. He took the PARCC.

Teachers should not be tuning up the stress about this test- that is very unprofessional.

youngest is a senior, so I thought I have no horse in this race....HOWEVER, kid takes a very high level coding class and noted they don't have computers for the next 3 weeks, as all the CHS computers are being used for PARCC testing. Really??? - how are they going to get anything done for the next 3 weeks. Teacher has said they will be doing coding on paper.

My biggest contention with everything I've read about PARCC is why do the teachers need to teach to the test if the test is supposed to measure how well kids are learning the curriculum. Clearly either the test or the curriculum need to change, so that there can be true measurement. As adults, I think we are comparing our technical abilities to our kids, who have grown up with computers and view them differently than we do. It is how they interact. My kids laugh at me that I use a laptop for email and don't manage it on my phone.

srg36 said:

My biggest contention with everything I've read about PARCC is why do the teachers need to teach to the test if the test is supposed to measure how well kids are learning the curriculum. Clearly either the test or the curriculum need to change, so that there can be true measurement. As adults, I think we are comparing our technical abilities to our kids, who have grown up with computers and view them differently than we do. It is how they interact. My kids laugh at me that I use a laptop for email and don't manage it on my phone.

Great points.

I didn't mean that they should have phones. I thought if they could bring in math homework or research work they were doing they could use pen and paper to take notes or do the math work.

Nobody said anything about them having phones. Some people just like to jump to conclusions based on their assumptions about the thinking and motivation of people they don't know.

srg36 said:

youngest is a senior, so I thought I have no horse in this race....HOWEVER, kid takes a very high level coding class and noted they don't have computers for the next 3 weeks, as all the CHS computers are being used for PARCC testing. Really??? - how are they going to get anything done for the next 3 weeks. Teacher has said they will be doing coding on paper.

Our kid has a class that requires the use of a computer and they are in the same boat - no computer for a few weeks starting last week. So, kid started taking in his own laptop this week as he was not really getting much done.

sprout said:

mcgoey said:

There are some strange rules; like the only books allowed one. I don't know why that would matter in a class full of students not taking the test.

The letter from Mr. Memoli said that the students would be reading in the same room as the test-takers, not a separate location.

This sounds like a very bad idea. Not every kid is into sitting and reading quietly for over an hour.

algebra2 said:

As a kid with a sophomore in HS I was told opting out will not "hurt" him and he could (possibly) use that time to get other work done. I'm thinking about it simply because if he can use time for school work that is more important for him. So - how would he "opt out"? Anyone know?

I opted out my 8th grader. And yes, there is supposed to be "no punishment" involved in parents wishing to opt out, e.g., "hurt him."

This is my son's last year in public school and since it's not going to "mean anything this year" I figured, why bother? The school he will be attending doesn't give a rats ass about this test.

I can PM what I wrote to my principal if you'd like to give you an idea.

today's reports:
8th grade...easy again, got in a great nap
5th: also easy but used more of the time today, did some reading of his new book

@dg64
Here is the letter from Mr. Memoli:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you may know, this year New Jersey has mandated a new assessment for all public school districts to administer to students called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC). The PARCC will be administered in place of the NJASK for English Language Arts and Math in grades 3-11. A FAQ is attached providing additional information about the PARCC, and SOMSD’s preparation to administer this state-mandated assessment.

Our goal is to ensure that testing administration is stress-free, smooth and orderly.

* The 2015 PARCC will have no academic consequences for students. It will be used as baseline data only, and will not be used for academic placement.
* Testing will take place in March; the testing dates are on the attached calendar. There will be a second round of PARCC testing in May.
* The testing time will vary from day to day, but all tests will be administered in the morning.
* Students are encouraged to get a good night’s rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and to arrive at school on time.

SOMSD recognizes that some families have concerns about their children participating in PARCC testing, and we have received some questions about what happens should a family refuse to allow their child/children to be tested. We respect personal parental concerns about this assessment, while at the same time we are adhering to state regulations. This year, the state has left it up to local school districts to decide how to handle those situations in which parents choose to have their children refuse to take the standardized assessment. If you are planning to refuse to allow your son or daughter to take the test, please note the following:

* There will be no negative consequences or disciplinary action for any student who is not taking the assessment.
* Please send an email or a letter to the building principal as soon as possible indicating that you are refusing to have your child take the PARCC test. Please do not keep your child home from school. We are required to follow all attendance rules and regulations.
* If you choose to not have your child take the state test, one letter will suffice for a refusal of the Performance Based Assessment in March, including make-up testing.
* Students must be on time for school regardless of whether or not they are participating in the testing.
* We ask you to have non-test taking students bring a book to keep them occupied during the hours of testing. They will remain in the classroom with the other students who are being tested. We cannot provide a separate space for non- testing students due to lack of personnel and space.

There is additional information about PARCC on the district website.

Thank you for your partnership in helping SOMSD meet our state-mandate.

Sincerely,

James G. Memoli

Acting Superintendent

meandtheboys said:

Nobody said anything about them having phones. Some people just like to jump to conclusions based on their assumptions about the thinking and motivation of people they don't know.

You should be more clear, then. Most of us consider reading a book in line with what kids ought to be doing at school if they aren't doing what 95% of the other kids are doing at school.

mcgoey said:

I didn't mean that they should have phones. I thought if they could bring in math homework or research work they were doing they could use pen and paper to take notes or do the math work.

Ok then. When does my kid get the advantage of the extra few hours to either get ahead of his work or catch up during school time?

when you send in a refusal letter?

callista said:

My son was lobbying not to take the PARCC, saying he had heard from teachers that it was designed for you to fail, failing would be emotionally scarring for him (ha!), etc. He missed thurs and Fri due to illness, so i asked his counselor if he DID skip the PARCC, could he use that time for make up work, but she said that, unfortunately, that was not allowed. Only books. He took the PARCC.

Same here. Practicing math is a better use of my kid's time, I guess. Day two and my kids both reported "easy." I think the whole destined to fail thing is probably more accurate in lower performing districts.

mod said:

Teachers should not be tuning up the stress about this test- that is very unprofessional.

Neither should parents.

ctrzaska said:

meandtheboys said:

Nobody said anything about them having phones. Some people just like to jump to conclusions based on their assumptions about the thinking and motivation of people they don't know.

You should be more clear, then. Most of us consider reading a book in line with what kids ought to be doing at school if they aren't doing what 95% of the other kids are doing at school.

mcgoey said:

I didn't mean that they should have phones. I thought if they could bring in math homework or research work they were doing they could use pen and paper to take notes or do the math work.

Ok then. When does my kid get the advantage of the extra few hours to either get ahead of his work or catch up during school time?

Right?!

carolanne said:

when you send in a refusal letter?

Who? Me? If so, what makes you think I would have?

I don't think anyone would really be getting so far ahead of work in the hour or so that it take to take the PARCC. Though, the test is proving to take much more time than originally planned.

mcgoey said:

I didn't mean that they should have phones. I thought if they could bring in math homework or research work they were doing they could use pen and paper to take notes or do the math work.

Test administration guidelines are quite strict to avoid cheating and/or copying test questions/answers down.

My son told me that many kids in 12th grade have no respect for the test, and were filling in blanks incorrectly, just for fun.

12th graders don't take the test, do they?

They do, but I don't think their scores count for anything.

srg36 said:

Teacher has said they will be doing coding on paper.

That's how complex coding projects start in the real world. (Well, on white boards.) Hopefully the teacher uses the opportunity well.