Garfield High School isn’t a stranger to testing protests, and now it’s the students who are speaking out.
According to a Seattle Times article, students are “opting out” from a new springtime standardized test, Smarter Balanced, which tests Common Core learning.
Students are tested enough as is, and as school staff noted in a letter, this is just another thing taking away “valuable instructional time.”
Schools across the district are seeing up to half of their 11th-grade students saying no to the additional test, most of whom already took the High School Proficiency Exam. Those students automatically get a zero on the Smarter Balance test. It’s not a graduation requirement for these students, but the reading portion is for their peers who are one year younger, the Times reported.
We do need to ensure that our students are getting the tools they need in life. And, realistically, that will come from some form of test. But a real change will only come when we reassess the federal No Child Left Behind law, which created this constant cycle and emphasis on standardized testing.
Many may shake their heads and say, “Of course, high schoolers are going to opt out of tests.” But it’s important to listen to what these students and their teachers are saying. These tests add no value and detract from time that should be spent actually learning.
Next year, students will not get the same option to opt out, but until then, students should test their options to play test-hooky.