More than 60 percent of students opt out of math test

Third- through eighth-grade students throughout New York State took the New York State Common Core Mathematics Test from May 2 through May 4, but more than 60 percent of eligible Lynbrook and East Rockaway students refused to take the exam.

In Lynbrook, 784 of the 1,231 students eligible for the test opted out of the test, and in East Rockaway, 335 of the 552 eligible students opted out of the test. The opt-out movement started in response to Common Core standards that were adopted in 2012. Parents who opt out their students feel that these standards are not appropriate for the grade levels that are tested.

“Fifth grade book 3 was pure child abuse. I wanted to cry watching these children struggle to figure out how to solve these problems,” Jeanette Deutermann, the founder of the Long Island Opt Out Movement posted on the Long Island Opt Out Info Facebook page on May 4.

To encourage parents to let their children take the mathematics and English Language Arts exams, the New York State Department of Education made some changes to the tests in 2016. Now, there is no time restriction for students to complete the exams and the exams no longer affect teacher evaluations.

According to WGRZ, there may be more changes to these exams for next year. The New York State Education Commissioner also announced that the Board of Regents will be presented with proposed minor changes to the Common Core standards this week, with a vote on these changes expected in June.