In an unprecedented action, the Colorado Springs School District 11 voted unanimously Wednesday evening to attempt to opt out of the federally funded Partnership of Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests that are aligned with the Common Core standards.
According to local NBC KOAA5 News, the board’s resolution asks the State Board of Education (SBOE) to allow D-11 to only test a random selection of students with the multi-state PARCC test and the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) state test.
Parents, however, would be able to opt their children out of or opt them into the tests.
Dr. Nicolas Gledich, superintendent of the Colorado Springs district, said he wants testing administered in a more individualized manner, and he hopes the district will be able to engage its plan to modify standardized testing over the next three years.
“I would hope that we could come up with some type of assessment to help us determine if our students are ready for the next step whether it be college, the work force and life,” he said.
The district hopes other Colorado school districts will follow suit.
Parents of various school districts from across the state attended the board’s meeting to voice their support for D-11’s courageous plan.
“I want my young kids to enjoy education and learning; I don’t want them staring at a test for hours day, after day, after day,” said Denver mom, Kellie Conn. “Hopefully it will creep into Jefferson County, it will creep into Denver, it will creep into Littleton.”
With the resolution passed, the district will now present it to the SBOE, where, even if it is turned down, Gledich said his district will not give up.
“Then District 11 will have [to] continue to find some way to remove some of those other pressures so our teachers can teach to our children and not teach to a test,” he said.
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