Dive Brief:

• The federal government has denied Colorado education officials' request to give schools leeway due to large numbers of students opting-out of standardized testing. 
• The US Department of Education responded to the request for impunity, by saying that failing to hold schools with high-opt out rates accountable will hurt overall efforts to better schools and close the achievement gap. 
• Schools with less than 95% test participation risk losing federal funds.

Dive Insight:

Colorado officials had asked the federal government if schools with lower than 95% test participation could not count students who opted-out.  

The opt-out movement has put school administrators in a unique situation as they are caught between the needs and desires of parents and the requirements of state and federal governments. 

The number of students opting out in New York; where one out of every six students has opted out of at least one of the state's two standardized tests this year represents a 50% increase from the 2013-14 school year. And while the federal government has not imposed sanctions there yet, there is speculation that this is to come as more and more states face high numbers of students opting out. 

Recommended Reading

Chalkbeat Colorado : Federal education department: No reprieve for opt-outs