More than 670,000 Refused Tests in 2015

for further information:

Bob Schaeffer (239) 395-6773

Lisa Guisbond (617) 959-2371

Updated Monday, August 29, 2016

MORE THAN 675,000 STUDENTS REFUSED STATE TESTS ACROSS U.S. IN 2015;

EVEN BROADER PROTESTS PLANNED FOR SPRING 2016 EXAM SEASON

GROWING OPT-OUT MOVEMENT SPURS ASSESSMENT REFORMS

Around the U.S., more than two-thirds of a million public school students refused to take standardized exams during the 2015 testing season, according to a preliminary tally released today. The count by the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest), a leader of the national assessment reform movement, is based on news reports and detailed surveys by local activists.

Among the largest state opt-out figures (with sources):

– 240,000 New York (news reports and New York State Allies for Public Education counts)

– 130,000 New Jersey (NJ Spotlight)

– 100,000 Colorado (Chalkbeat Colorado and SEEK for Cherry Creek)

– 50,000+ Washington State (news reports)

– 44,000 Illinois (Chicago Tribune from state report)

– 20,386 California (EdSource)

– ~20,000 Oregon (news reports)

– 20,000 Florida (Orlando Sentinel from state report)

– 11,200 Connecticut (news reports)

– 10,300 Rhode Island (state report)

– 10,000 New Mexico (news reports)

– 8,100 Wisconsin (Wisconsin State Journal from state reports)

– ~5,000 Louisiana (Baton Rouge Advocate from state report)

– 4,600 Pennsylvania (Lehigh Valley Live from state report)

– 2,200 Florida (News Leader article reporting state data)

– ? ? Other states not yet reporting

“The opt-out movement and other assessment reform initiatives exploded across the country this year as more parents said ‘enough is enough’ to high-stakes testing overkill,” explained FairTest Executive Director Monty Neill. “If anything, the initial estimate of half a million opt-outs in 2015 was low because many states have denied requests to make test refusal data public. This intense grassroots pressure is beginning to force policymakers to roll back standardized exam misuse and overuse.”

FairTest Public Education Director Bob Schaeffer concluded, “The assessment reform movement is energizing ever-growing legions of parents, students, educators, school administrators, and community leaders. In the 2016 testing season, we expect many more families to refuse to take part in unnecessary testing, which undermines educational quality and equity.”

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– for details about local assessment reform campaigns:

New York — Lisa Rudley 917-914-9190 or Jeanette Deutermann 516-902-9228

New Jersey — Susan Cauldwell 908-507-1020 or Julie Borst 201-693-3808

Colorado — Ilana Spiegel 303-523-0711 or Stefanie Fuhr 303-483-1196

Washington State — Jesse Hagopian 206-962-1685

Illinois — Cassie Creswell 716-536-9313

– to reach assessment reform organizers in other jurisdictions, see the state-by-state list of contacts at: http://www.fairtest.org/get_involved/state_resources

– for a state by state listing of testing resistance and reform actions, see http://www.fairtest.org/testing-resistance.

– FairTest’s recent report “Testing Reform Victories 2015: Growing Grassroots Movement Rolls Back Testing Overkill” is online at: http://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/2015-Resistance-Wins-Report-Final.pdf