High School Grad Requirements Test Opt-Out Movement
Peggy Robertson's son Sam, a freshman at Littleton High School in Littleton, Colo., didn't take the standardized tests mandated by his state and district this year.
The decision was made not out of fear of failing but out of principle -- Robertson believes the exams enforce narrow learning, have little impact on teacher effectiveness and take money away from areas that may struggle with funding, such as school libraries, among other issues.
"These tests are not based on what we do in the classroom," says Robertson, a former teacher who currently works as a literacy coach for Aurora Public Schools. She is also an administrator of United Opt Out National, a group that advocates opting out.
[Learn how to help your high school student prepare for the SAT.]
Robertson and her son are part of a national opt-out movement in which students refuse to take high-stakes tests in an act of protest. Despite the growing movement, high school students may find it difficult to bypass high stakes tests. Many are tied to graduation requirements and there are few alternatives.
All states administer state assessments. The exams provide data to the federal government about student and school performance, some of which can affect teacher evaluations or the reputation of a school. The tests can also have high stakes for students, many of whom depend on test results to learn whether they move on to the next grade or graduate.
More than half of states require high school students to pass some sort of state-mandated test, such as an exit exam or multiple end-of-course exams in core subjects such as English and math in order to graduate, according to a 2012 report by the Center on Educational Policy.
High school students in these states have limited options if they want to refuse to take these tests. Some states allow students to complete alternative assessments, according to the report.
Colorado currently does not require high schoolers to pass an exam to graduate, which is why Robertson's son was able to opt out of the exams required by the state and district. But reforms may soon make refusing to take the exam more difficult, Robertson says.
[Find out about testing boycotts across the U.S.]
However, high school students who cannot protest high stakes tests by refusing to take them in many states are organizing and protesting.
Students in Providence, R.I., led a protest at the Statehouse against the New England Common Assessment Program, which recently became a graduation requirement in the state.
"I think it is so much pressure because I could do so well and then not pass one test," said Nick Friend, a member of the Providence Student Union, in an interview with the local ABC affiliate. "I think it is not right and it is too much pressure."
Robertson says that if a significant amount of students refuse to take these tests -- even in states where they are required -- then it would give their movement more leverage to negotiate with policymakers.
"What if every high school student refused to take the test?" she says. "Do we really believe they are going to hold all those kids back? I don't think so."
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Alexandra Pannoni is an education intern at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.
