Frequently Asked Questions about the PARCC
1. Do parents have the right to opt their children out of the PARCC tests?
New Jersey does not have an “opt out” provision, but, as New Jersey State Board of Education President Mark Biedron pointed out at the January 7, 2015 State Board of Education meeting, “nobody can force a child” to take a test.(1)
On September 9, 2015, NJ Commissioner of Education David Hespe sent a memo to school districts on how to accommodate students whose families or guardians refuse PARCC. He said “school districts should be prepared in the event that students choose not to participate in the assessment program and adopt policies and procedures for the appropriate supervision and engagement of these students during administration of the assessment. The specific policies adopted by school districts regarding students not participating in the assessment program are entirely within the school district’s discretion, in consideration of each district’s school environment and available staffing and resources and recognizing that a statewide rule could not take into account these local circumstances. However, in developing these policies, districts should be mindful of ensuring appropriate student supervision and creating alternative options for student activity during the test period, so long as the testing environment is not disrupted and, in this regard, a sit and stare policy should be avoided.”(2)
Districts and charter schools may not require that students who refuse the PARCC tests miss school on the days that their classmates are taking PARCC.
Last spring, more than 230 districts allowed students whose families refused the tests to read or take part in an alternative activity. Please email info@saveourschoolsnj.org to let us know how your district or charter schools is handling test refusals this spring.
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