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A Few Clouds Fifth of N. Bellmore students opt out of exams
An average of 20 percent of North Bellmore School District students in grades three to six refused to take state-mandated English Language Arts and math exams last spring, according to district administrators.
The New York State Department of Education released students’ ELA and math test results by district on Aug. 14. North Bellmore Superintendent Marie Testa noted that as district educators dissect the data, they must account for the roughly one-fifth of students who opted out of the exams.
In the North Bellmore district, which takes in students from North Bellmore and part of North Merrick, math scores rose in grades three through six. There were 9, 15, 14 and 18 percentage point increases in passing rates, respectively, in comparison to 2012-13.
But ELA passing rates fell in grades three, five and six, by as many as 11 percentage points. North Bellmore’s fourth-grade ELA passing rate bucked the trend, rising by 5 percentage points in 2013-14.
Testa cautioned that the data is skewed by the opt-outs, noting that as few as five children sat for certain exams. “We don’t want to make excuses, but we have to report the entire story,” she said. “It’s a huge variable to take into consideration. I foresee that in the next two years, we will have continued growth, but it is harder to capture growth and show it when the data is tainted by refusals.”
The refusal rate rose district-wide this year. Testa said 264 students in grades three through six did not take the math exam, while 227 did not take the ELA test. In 2012-13, 66 students opted out of the exams across grades.
Testa noted that the Long Island-wide movement against state-mandated tests has roots in North Bellmore. Jeanette Deutermann, a Martin Avenue parent of two, started the “Long Island Opt-out Info” Facebook page. The group now has more than 17,000 members, and Deutermann has organized public education forums in New York and nationwide.
“The heart of the effort was born here,” Testa said. “I think parents are expressing their sentiment in terms of their own children, and it is our duty to honor what they say. We have never thwarted the efforts of our parents, and we have a strong relationship with them.”
