Hopewell Valley Regional School District plans to pass a resolution at tonight’s school board meeting. The resolution sets forth the district’s policy for students whose parents have made the decision to refuse state-mandated testing, mostly notably the PARCC, short for “Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.”
The PARCC exam is a state-mandated education assessment tool replacing the NJASK “New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge” that will be administered to students in grades 3 through 11 this March throughout New Jersey. While it is state-mandated exam, in that school districts are required to provide it, parents are permitted to refuse to allow their children to take the exam. HVRSD has prepared a “Frequency Asked Questions” page available online that you can check out here.
Concerned parents throughout the state oppose the exam for a myriad of reasons including the amount of classroom time required to prepare for and take the multi-day exam starting as young as 3rd grade.
There is an abundance of information online as well as information groups including Opt Out New Jersey, a FaceBook group providing up-to-date information as well as an opportunity to share concerns and thoughts.
This is the proposed resolution before the HVRSD school board:
RESOLUTION OF THE HOPEWELL VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ADDRESSING PARENTAL CONCERNS REGARDING STANDARDIZED TESTING – February 9, 2015
WHEREAS, the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education recognizes that the district is mandated by the state to administer standardized tests specific to grade level assignment to students and that the Hopewell Valley Education Association has a professional responsibility to administer them; and
WHEREAS, the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education respects that some parents choose to have their child/children refuse to take one or more of the New Jersey Department of Education standardized tests;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that it is the policy of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education that instances of test refusal should be met with educationally appropriate, not punitive, responses, including alternative settings for students that refuse to take the assessment;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that it is the policy of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education to consider multiple measures when determining student placement for future school years;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that all policies and regulations promulgated by the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education prior shall remain in full force and effect during New Jersey Department of Education mandated testing.
MercerMe will continue to cover information about the PARCC including the pros and cons plus opportunities to find out more about it. The soonest chance to find out more is a presentation to be given to interested parents at the next Hopewell Elementary School PTO meeting on Wednesday, February 11th at 9:30 am.
