More Oceansiders opt out of state test

Record numbers of Oceanside parents opted their children out of the state English Language Arts (ELA) exam last week. According to Superintendent Phyllis Harrington, 861 out of 2529 students sat out the exam — about 34 percent of the total.

Last year 6.8 percent, or 175 students, were opted out of the ELA by their parents.

Harrington preferred to look at the results for the 66 percent that are taking the exam though. “I recognize and appreciate the amount of controversy surrounding these assessments,” said Harrington. “But at the end of the day [I am] really confident in the instruction teachers have provided these kids and really confident we meet the learning standards.”

Nevertheless, Harrington said the district has respected parents’ choices, and that students who did not take the tests were in a separate location and allowed to bring reading material with them.

The exam was given last week from Tuesday to Thursday to third through eighth-grade students.

Harrington said that the assessments are partially used to determine if a specific child needs Academic Intervention Services (AIS) but most of the time the district is already aware that the child needs help.

“We’re very proactive in our district,” said Harrington. “Hardly ever a time when we’re surprised by the data… There’s a very strong likelihood that this child is already receiving some form of intervention.” As for children who do not take the tests, Harrington said their need for AIS is determined by other informal and formal assessments.

Parents opting their children out the tests are part of a statewide movement that contends that tests are too difficult, unfairly tied to teacher evaluations and part of the controversial common core curriculum.

One middle school parent, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that they did not opt out their child. “I just feel that the exams are part of their schooling,” they said. “I understand some of the issues… They do prepare all year long whether it’s directly for the exam or not. We need to know what the children have learned.”

Oceanside did not have the kind of test rejection seen in neighboring Rockville Centre, where 1,005 students, or 60.2 percent, opted out. But Oceanside’s numbers are bigger than Freeport, which reported that 369 students, or 12.6 percent, refused the tests. Overall, Nassau County saw 25,597 students, or 33.9 percent, opt out of the ELA. The state math tests, which parents also opt their children out of, are from April 22 to 24.