Seattle NAACP and allies confront Seattle Public Schools over high-stakes testing

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 6,2016
Contact: Rita Green, Seattle King County NAACP Education Chair
Education@seattlekingcountynaacp.org 206-605-8339
 
Seattle NAACP and allies confront Seattle Public Schools over high-stakes testing
Group presents School District with list of demands to address intimidation of students and parents
 
Seattle, WA – On Wednesday, the Seattle King County NAACP and Seattle Opt Out met to confront Seattle Public Schools over high-stakes testing for Seattle students. The NAACP presented the School District with a list of demands to address the intimidation of students and parents who choose to opt out of high-stakes testing. Opting out of a high-stakes test is a right according to the state Office of Public Instruction and the Seattle School District.
 
A group of parents and community leaders came together to draft the Seattle Opt Out Bill of Rights to ensure students’ assessment needs are respected including:

• Schools cannot be allowed to punish or retaliate against students who opt out of a high-stakes test in anyway including by taking away class parties or other opportunities.
• Students who opt out should not be given a score of zero. Giving a student a score of zero is not statistically valid and is only a form of punishment, not assessment.

 
“In a year where the Washington State legislature is struggling to find resources to fund education”, Seattle King County NAACP Education Chair, Rita Green says “the money the districts spend on high-stakes testing should be put into the classroom”.
 
Parent Carolyn Leith said, “I’m opting my daughters out of SBAC testing because these tests are robbing our children of valuable class time. My children are developing many skills – such as collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving – that can’t be measured by this test.”
 
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Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. More information about the Seattle King County NAACP can be found here: www.seattlekingcountynaacp.org