Opt-out policies, state by state

A new brief from the Education Commission of the States examines the wide variation in opt-out policies from state to state. Utah and California offer explicit, statutory opt-out language, and legislators in New Jersey and North Dakota recently introduced bills allowing parents to opt-out. In several other states, opt-outs aren't statutory but are permitted. For example, Minnesota has explicitly indicated no consequences for students who opt out; completion of state exams is a graduation requirement, but diplomas can't be withheld from students who don't participate. Michigan discourages, but does not prohibit, opting out. Many states offer exemptions for physical disabilities, medical reasons, or emergencies; Oregon and Pennsylvania include religious beliefs. Oregon and Ohio alone give public information about their policies, outlining both the purpose of state assessments and the consequences for not taking them. States that prohibit opting out frequently have policies that require districts to administer state assessments to all students in specified grades, and some also require students to take them. But many states are silent on the issue, with no publicly available communication to district and school leaders or the public. In these cases, district or school leaders adopt their own policies. Colorado and Louisiana are seeking ways to bypass state laws to release districts from testing obligations. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.