Common Core State Tests Started, Number of Students Opting Out Still High

Annual Common Core state tests began Tuesday, with a significant number of students across districts deciding to opt-out, and worse, some of them also boycotting the exams. At this rate, students who choose not to participate in state tests ares surely going to increase. 

New York City officials said the number of students opting-out from taking the exams this year will be higher than that of last year, reports New York Daily News. Last year, more than 400,000 students took the exams, but more than 7,900 students boycotted it. The number was also higher across the state last year, with about 20% of students deciding to skip the tests altogether.

"City numbers look like they may be higher this year, and they are definitely broader," said NYC Opt Out Spokeswoman Megan Devir. She added that many students from different areas such as the Bronx, Brownsville and Harlem, as well as some parts of Brooklyn have already opted out.

Meanwhile, a huge number of parents in the North County area did not let their children take the English Language Arts (ELA) state tests, reports the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. One Saranac Lake parent, Lori Moranie, said that among her reasons for not allowing her children to take the tests are questions as to what Pearson, the test vendor, intends to do with the data it collects.

"There is no definitive answer that anybody could give me on what was going to happen with the information they have on our children, and they have a lot of information on our kids," said Mouranie. "Nobody seemed to know what was going to happen."

State Education Commission MaryEllen Elia, who assumed the role after the state exams last year, said the state has "much work to do" in increasing the number of students taking the exams, reports the Poughkeepsie Journal. Elia hopes that the changes that the state enacted, as well as her own tour promoting them, would help in the effort.

With Math state tests scheduled to start next week, only time will tell if these boycott numbers will rise. What do you think about this issue? Share in the comments below!