Schools could soon be penalized for high optedout rates

According to a New York City media outlet, U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King Jr is pushing to penalize schools with high common core testing opt-out rates. The report suggests the penalty could impact a school’s ranking. 7 Eyewitness News Reporter, Justin Moore spoke with the Secretary about this specific matter.

“No Child left behind requires all students to participate in state testing and the regulations that we propose implements that requirement. The law also required that states act and intervene when areas fall below the 95 percent participation level,” Secretary King said.

Lancaster, West Seneca and Lake Shore have some of the highest number of opted-out rates in Western New York.
In Lancaster 49% of public school students opted out of state testing. That’s up from 44% last year.

A Lancaster dad of three admits common core is confusing. At first he didn’t support the standard. Now Mitch Inman has a change of heart.

“I looked at the issue for myself. My son’s school put on a presentation and this school is an opt in school so I sat through and listen to what they had to say and at the end of it I say I was an acted in parent,” Inman said.

Inman believes there are a lot of misconceptions about the testing process and common core in general.

“A good portion of people that maybe don’t fully understand it. It’s something new, it’s easier to just argue and push away something new rather than maybe going in with an open mind trying to understand it,” Inman said.

Many parents believe students should have a choice. But Inman views it differently.

“That’s a life lesson in its own. When you get out of school you don’t get to choose how things go. You follow the directions or if it’s a job you don’t work there. So I think that’s a great lesson to learn right off the back that even some parents can still learn,” Inman said.