As many school districts around the region struggling with the fight over high-stakes testing, Buffalo School Board members discussed the issue at Wednesday night's lengthy meeting.
The city school board learned there is no consistency about what to do when a student refuses to take the tests. Board members also learned pressure is being put on parents to have their children tested if they are seeking entry into the district's best schools.
School board members also passed a resolution on the 'sit and stare' policy.
"To have the staff development policy that will be consistence across the district," said Barbara Seals Nevergold, school board member. "Right now, some principals allow students to read other principals after they take the exam, other principals make them 'sit and stare', so we want to make sure that we have a policy that is consistent. That children aren't punished by having to sit and not do anything while others taking the test."
But parents are also receiving a letter from interim Schools Superintendent Don Ogilvie to clearly outline the importance of a state assessment score. It warns them of the potential consequences if the refused to have their child take a standardized test.
"If a state assessment score does not exist for a student, the lack of this assigned value, while not disqualifying the student, will impact the student's admissions profile. This result would be the same for students who attended a prior school in which assessments were not administered or who attended a school in which no similar assessment data exists," stated Ogilvie in a letter.
The following is a letter from Ogilvie dated March 25th sent to city school parents:
March 25, 2015
Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Buffalo Public School District realizes some parents are making the decision on behalf of their children to refuse to complete the New York State Assessments. Pursuant to New York State guidelines, school districts may not solely or primarily rely upon, but may include, state assessments as one of various measures used to determine admissions into schools. Several schools in Buffalo (City Honors School #195, Frederick Law Olmsted School #156, and Leonardo DaVinci High School #212) use state assessments as one of multiple sources of information to determine admissions into schools. Those schools will be unable to assign a value to a portion of the student profile if a student refuses to complete the most recent state assessments administered at the time of application.
If a state assessment score does not exist for a student, the lack of this assigned value, while not disqualifying the student, will impact the student's admissions profile. This result would be the same for students who attended a prior school in which assessments were not administered or who attended a school in which no similar assessment data exists.
Sincerely,
Donald A. Ogilvie Interim Superintendent
