Can Arizonans opt out of state standardized tests?

This is a question that has plagued families in our state for nearly a year, and now we have an answer, thanks to the state’s attorney general: no. Opting out is not an option, and according to Arizona law, it never was one.

So where did the idea come from that students could opt out of a mandatory Common Core assessment test? Groups like the Common Core Freedom Fighters, among others, are collections of adults who believe that it is the parent’s right to say whether or not their child can take a standardized test.

A good argument against the AzMERIT exams, which were introduced last spring, is that there has not been any field testing of the exams. The problem with that statement is that last year’s exams were a pilot test, and the state made no bones about it. It was not a secret, the tests did not count for graduation or a grade, the exam was a first attempt at creating a more rigorous exam to give educators an idea whether or not students are going to be career and college ready after high school.

Much to the chagrin of groups like the “Freedom Fighters,” they do not make the policies that schools are required to follow.

Earlier this summer Attorney General Mark Brnovich sent a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas saying: “while parents may have the fundamental right to decide whether to send their child to a public school, they do not have a fundamental right generally to direct how a public school teaches their child.”

Brnovich continued by stating  that parents never had the chance to opt their children out due to laws A.R.S. (Arizona Revised Statutes) § 1-602 and A.R.S. § 15-102 (1-602 being the parents bill of rights when it comes to education and 15-102 being parents involvement in schools). These groups think that they have the power to mandate what happens, when in reality they do not.

Let’s be honest: I am not a big fan of tests like the AzMERIT, SAT, ACT, AIMS – you name it, standardized tests because I hate having so much pressure on just one test. However, I accept the fact that these tests are needed to see how schools perform in comparison to others.

This is the fundamental way for districts to allocate proper funding. As Principal Dan Serrano said, “[Opting out] is not an option. It is our responsibility in mind to give all students this test. It is important to [the school] that our school’s rating is based on those scores.”

In addition, he noted that “Our school scored higher than the district average and the state average,” which should be a sign to students and the community that PHS is doing things right.

In the end, with the new incentives for taking the AzMERIT, why would not you take it? The chance of not having to write WOD’s senior year and wasting a school day of your time is the clear advantage in why one would take the AzMERIT. If that is not enough to convince one to take it, than have fun drawing flags on the test and being bored out of your mind. The test is going to be in front of you anyways, so why not take it?