Opt Out Letter Sample With State Testing In Massachusetts
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Voters ended the MCAS requirement to graduate from high school in Massachusetts. Students will no longer have to pass the MCAS exam to earn a diploma in Massachusetts.
On Nov. 5, 2024, Election Day, voters overwhelmingly approved Question 2, doing away with the requirement that public school students must pass the 10th-grade MCAS tests in English language arts (ELA), mathematics and science in order to graduate.
It could be as basic as: “I want to let you know we do not want our child, name, to take part in the name the standardized exam this year. Please arrange for him or her to have a productive educational experience during the testing period.”Some states or districts have specific forms.
A student who fails the MCAS in 10th grade, can take it four more times in 11th and 12th grade. There is also an appeals process through which students can be cleared to graduate by showing a portfolio of school work or if school officials determine they have met state learning standards through coursework.
Is opting out illegal? No. State law says the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must give tests to all students. But state law does not say every student must take those tests and it does not provide for any penalties to students who refuse, or their parents.
Data collected by the state indicates that 90% of 10th graders pass the MCAS on their first try. Another 6% pass on subsequent attempts. Most of the remaining 4% also fail to meet local criteria for graduating. The rest, about 1% each year, pass local requirements but not the MCAS.
It's very simple to opt your child out. Just write an email or a letter to your school principal notifying them of your intention. Your email can be short and sweet. Here's an example: “I would like to opt my child NAME out of MCAS or ACCESS testing this year.
Dear Principal Name, I wanted to let you know that my child, name, will not take part in the name the test this year. We ask that you make arrangements for him/her to have a productive educational experience during the testing period. Thank you for all you do.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a set of statewide standardized tests. Students in grades 3-8 and 10 take MCAS tests in English language arts and mathematics; students in grades 5, 8, and one high school grade (usually grade 9 or 10) take a science MCAS test.
