Chancellor on State Tests: 'I Don't Believe in Opting Out'

Despite a report that she sympathized with parents of special-needs students who wanted to opt out of New York's state tests, on Monday Chancellor Carmen Fariña made her position clear.

"I don't believe in opting out," she told reporters at a Brooklyn high school where she announced an expansion of dual-language programs for the fall.

Last year, 20 percent of students across the state opted out of the elementary and middle school math and reading tests; about 1.4 percent opted out in New York City. Some test critics are trying to increase that percentage, in part by making more parents aware of their right to opt out.

Fariña said the state has "eliminated a lot of the problems" with the tests, noting that this year the tests will not be timed, results will come back quicker and they will not be used to hold back students or to evaluate teachers.

She also said parents should think about the message they send to children if they tell them not to take the tests.

"What are you saying about your belief in them, to do something that they've been preparing for all year long? So, rethink it, discuss it, but honestly I do believe the tests have merit," she said.

Fariña said her earlier comment about special-education students and testing was "taken out of context." She said she was referring only to students with special needs who have a "high frustration" level. 

"It's not about across the board," she clarified.

Many parents across the state remain deeply skeptical of the annual testing of third through eighth graders. They believe three days of tests in English Language Arts followed by three days of math tests is too much. They also don't like the fact that the new testing company, Questar, will use questions from the old company Pearson (though they have been reviewed by teachers). And some believe the tests take away time from other valuable subjects.

A woman named Kari in Washington Heights called in to WNYC's Brian Lehrer show Monday, and said her children have been opting out of state tests since 2013. Even before that, she said the schools were under more pressure to raise test scores.

"Trying to hit our numbers every year means that our teachers have to do a ton of test prep," she said. "The curriculum is all organized around preparing us for the test from the beginning of the year on."