PARCC Refuseniks : Mounting refusals to take state tests could hurt N.J.’s federal aid
MARCH 27, 2015, 10:53 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015, 10:56 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A tally kept by the state’s largest teachers union shows that the number of students refusing to take new state tests may top 46,000 — meaning too few students are taking the exam to meet a federal mandate, which officials say could put education funding to the state in jeopardy.
Refusals grew from week to week as tests were conducted in March, numbering hundreds in some North Jersey school districts, including 1,100 in Ridgewood alone, or one-fourth of all eligible students.
The union, one of the leading opponents of the tests, has collected numbers from teachers, media reports and parents. Although the numbers are unconfirmed, the union’s tallies from local districts are similar to figures The Record has received by talking to a limited number of school superintendents.
Steve Wollmer, spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, said that the 46,000 figure represents 5 percent of all students in the state. “We know at least that many opted out and that [list] doesn’t even include every district in the state,” he said.
State education officials declined on Friday to say how many have refused the test known as PARCC, or whether the participation rate was below 95 percent. A spokesman said results won’t be known until after testing ends on Thursday.
I think the nail in the coffin at RHS is when the Education Commissioner said that if you had a 40+ on your PSAT, 400+ on your SAT, 19 on the ACT, etc. you would be good to go. Not too many Juniors took the test. Why would they? Most I know (including my own) could use the 10 hours of extra study time or sleep. I heard there were only 2 or 3 kids in each classroom taking the test and they gave their parents hell for it (LOL).
The article says 1/4 opted out which would leave 3/4 or 75% taking the test. That doesn’t translate to 2 or 3 students taking the test per classroom. Obviously the majority of students took the test.
8:40 – me thinks you need to take the PARCC test or at least read the article more closely. Ridgewood High School had 800 out of 1300 opt out of the test. If you had bothered to read my comment rather than just react to it, you would have noted I was referring to the Junior class. Almost no Junior took the exam because they’ve already taken the PSAT and most have taken the SAT. There was absolutely no reason for any Junior to take the PARCC unless they scored under 40 on a PSAT. Almost none of my sons friends took the PARCC; the ones who did reported 2 or 3 students per classroom.
Understand. It’s not that hard.
Eleven hundred student opted out of the PARCC in the Village. Eight hundred of those were RHS . . . 800/1300. About 38% of RHS students took the test; very, very few juniors took the test. The bulk of those taking the test were freshman and sophomores.
6:20 you are right I did not read your comments that closely because they are so tedious. The fact remains that the majority of students took the test.
NO 4:01, the majority of students at RHS DID NOT TAKE THE TEST. Let me guess . . . you majored in communications in college and not math. 38% of RHS students took the test; that’s a MINORITY. Os 800/1300 hard for you to understand? I’m not talking about overall RPS students, I am referring only to RHS students. It this so hard for you to understand or do you just find facts tedious. The fact is, for the juniors at RHS, the classrooms were damn near empty.
Have a good night. I am done with dealing with mental midgets for now.
4:01 – why confuse yourself with the facts, right? I mean, facts are tedious. The fact is that 800/1300 students at the high school took the test. Tha’t’s not a majority.