Conversation starters
Most popular
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.
Snohomish could face penalties over test protests
on May 11, 2012 @ 6:17 am (Updated: 12:15 pm - 5/11/12 )More than 550 students in the Snohomish School District have refused to take the Measurement of Student Progress test. That's about 12 percent of the kids between third and eighth grade who are supposed to take it.
Kristin Foley with the district's communications office tells 97.3 KIRO FM, they are about halfway through the testing period. There could still be more students who choose not to test in the next few weeks.
The Everett Herald reports parents of those children are trying to send a message to the state that the tests cost too much. They are also calling this a protest against school budget cuts.
Since kids that do not take the test get a zero score, that will drag down the district's performance as a whole. That could mean a designation of failing to make "adequate yearly progress."
The district says a failing grade would not take any federal dollars away from schools, but it would force them into tighter restrictions on how those dollars can be spent.
Nathan Olsen, with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington State, says if the non- testing trend continues, the schools could be required to spend 20 percent of their Title One funding on "supplemental education services." That is, services for lower income students and others who would seem to be at risk for under-performing.
The district says they support a parent's right to have their child sit out. Foley says they are providing other learning opportunities for those students who are not taking the test.
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.