How do I opt my child out of

standardized testing in Douglas County?

-Write an opt out letter to the principal of
your child's school stating your refusal. Find
sample letters at www.UnitedOptOut.com.

-Your opt out letter should specify any or ALL
standardized tests you wish to refuse, including
district-created interim assessments. Some
tests currently administered in DCSD include
MAP, PARCC, CMAS, TCAP, STAR, AIMSWeb,
CoAlt, ACCESS, CogAt, and more. Ask your
childs teacher for more information.

-Opt out soon! Many schools start testing
during the first few weeks of school. Ask your
childs teacher for this years testing schedule.
Your children are tested more frequently than
you realize.

-Dont be bullied! The US Supreme Court has
ruled that parents have the right to direct the
education of their children. As a result,
thousands of parents opt out of high stakes
testing each year without any consequence.
There are many resources and people willing to
help you!
For MUCH more information on Common Core,
high stakes testing and Opt Out, please visit
the following websites:
www.angelaengel.com
www.unitedoptout.com
www.resistthetest.org
www.parentsacrossamerica.org
www.thecbe.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to opt out?
-Opting out means you refuse high stakes
testing (HST) for your child. This can
include district, state and federally
mandated standardized testing.
Why is this important now?
-Public education across America is facing
unprecedented attacks by people and
groups who wish to destroy our public
schools in an effort to privatize
education. Schools are suffering while
testing companies are making billions.
Why does opting out matter?
-The privatization movement needs your
childs testing data in order to succeed.
By opting out, parents withhold this data
and send a message that they will not
participate in the corporate reform of
education. Opting out supports public
schools and their teachers.
Will opting out hurt the teacher?
-We are awaiting clarification from DCSD
about specific impact on teacher
evaluations. We know that teachers can
assess student progress better than these
tests can. Opting out reinforces the
important work that teachers do.
Will opting out hurt the school?
-The CDE has the discretion to lower
school performance ratings (bully tactic),
but ratings are not tied to school funding.
Will opting out hurt my child?
-No. They wont be penalized, be held
back or jeopardize college opportunities.
Colleges do not consider these tests (TCAP,
CMAS) for admission. Current research
indicates that GPA is a better predictor of
success in college.

Why OPT OUT of
standardized testing?






A guide for parents/guardians of
Douglas County School District
students


Voices for Public Education
Colorado RAVE (Re-igniting Association
Values for Educators)

A QUICK LOOK AT THE ISSUES
It is estimated that the State of
Colorado spends more than
$37,000,000 annually to prepare,
administer and grade the CSAP/TCAP.
Millions of dollars are spent on testing
while classes like art, music, language
and PE are being eliminated.
Since the implementation of
standardized testing, the number of
students per teacher has increased.
Our children spend what amounts to
WEEKS preparing specifically for
standardized subject tests rather than
learning diverse material.
For the 2014-15 DCSD school year,
only fall break and spring break are
designated as non-testing weeks.
Standardized testing now begins in
kindergarten, or sometimes in pre-K.
The Common Core State Standards
will lead to EVEN MORE TESTING
starting this year (CMAS, PARCC).
Newer tests are administered
electronically, meaning MORE money
will be spent on testing equipment
rather than on students/classrooms.
Your childs personal information and
testing data are now available to third
parties, and can be sold to private
companies (Data Mining).
DCSD is creating its own district
standardized tests, which will only
increase the time students are testing
and not learning.
Research shows that standardized
tests are not accurate measures of a
students learning, especially for
students with language barriers or
learning difficulties.


I realize teachers are afraid and the only way we
have been able to get any traction is by refusing the
test. If we do not opt out, we will lose all leverage
and things will get worse. Angela Engel, co-
founder, Executive Director, Uniting 4 Kids
"There is no federal law prohibiting a parent from
opting their child out of CSAP... Students who do
not test, including those who do so due to parent
refusal, are counted as non-participants when
determining participation rates for state and federal
accountability purposes" -Jo O'Brien, Assistant
Commissioner of Standards, Colorado Department
of Education (CDE)
School academic performance ratings (SAR) will no
longer be assigned for Colorado schools. The
Education Accountability Act of 2009 (SB 09-163)
repealed previous SAR law. Negative weights for
Unsatisfactory and No Score percentages are not in
effect anymore. -James McIntosh, Director of
Student Assessment, CDE

Why opt out?
Opting out of high stakes testing is the
best action parents can take to help resist
the current takeover of our public schools.
Common Core and the resulting artificial
accountability through high stakes testing
are slowly dismantling public education. It
has denied teachers the freedom to meet
the diverse needs of their students. It has
also robbed students of creativity, critical
thinking and collaborative learning
opportunities. Excellent educators are
losing heart and leaving the profession.
This national movement is about saving
the teaching profession and public
education.
What is Common Core (CCSS)?
Common Core State Standards are
education standards developed in 2009 by
mostly non-educators and big government.
Full implementation is scheduled for 2014-
2015, and is to be measured by a series of
standardized tests. These tests, referred
to as High Stakes Testing, have significant
consequences for students, teachers and
schools. Just a few criticisms of Common
Core include:
It is not developmentally
appropriate for young children and
there is no research to support it.
The dramatic increase in testing
means much less time teaching and
learning a diverse curriculum.
Student test data and personal
information are stored in massive
databases and sold without parent
consent.
The required testing diverts money
away from the classrooms and funnels it
to corporations for profit.