BATON ROUGE (AP) — Fourteen of Louisiana's public school districts have passed resolutions aimed at preventing schools from being penalized for students who skip Common Core standardized tests, according to the Louisiana Schools Boards Association.
Common Core represents new standards in reading, writing and math that are being fully implemented this year. Students and parents who object to Common Core exams set for March 16-20 have started what is called an "opt out" movement.
Officials with the state Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education say that students who skip the test will produce zeroes for themselves, their schools and school districts.
How many students plan to skip the tests is unclear.
Four members of BESE have requested a special meeting to talk about the testing opt-outs. But Chas Roemer, president of the panel, said there was no need for such a gathering. BESE will discuss the issue at its March 5 regular meeting.
The Advocate’s Will Sentell reports the school boards association said districts that have approved resolutions asking that the state change plans to penalize schools include: Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, DeSoto, Evangeline, Iberia, Jackson, Jeff Davis, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany and Washington.
