Indiana

Indiana Parent Guide to Opting Out of ISTEP

Indiana DOE states:
There is no opportunity to “opt out” of statewide testing in Indiana.
There are no alternate activities planned on days for students who will be opting out.
High school students who do not take the statewide tests cannot graduate or receive a high school diploma. Any waiver of the graduation requirements requires the student to take and fail the tests at least once.
Third grade students who don’t take the IREAD-3 would be retained in the absence of a passing score.
Students with disabilities may take an alternate assessment (ISTAR or IMAST), this is still part of the statewide testing and is not considered “opting out.”
There are additional consequences to the school based on a lack of student participation in statewide assessments.
A student who does not take the statewide assessment is included in the denominator, but not the numerator when determining the % of students participating the assessment. In calculating the percentage of students passing the assessment, the student is not included in the calculation.
Because state law does not permit a student to opt out of participation in statewide assessments, there is no coding a test for this reason. Schools must complete a report on students who do not participate in the statewide assessments.
counts against the school to the extent it impacts the school’s participation and student passing percentages.”

Parents are opting out this year (2012) and we will keep you posted. Check out their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/OPT-OUT-of-the-State-Test-Indiana/275860349126999  and at https://www.facebook.com/groups/182929731801110/

Links:

http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=363

http://www.doe.in.gov/esea/#1  (oddy enough this link has disappeared from the DOE’s website – poof – gone.  Lucky for us – we have it saved in a google doc – here it is – Accountability Workbook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Parent-Power-Indianapolis/113715475354342

http://btownerrant.com/2011/12/19/doug-martins-abecedary-of-indianas-corporate-education-pirates/

http://indianapubliceducation.blogspot.com/