The Ouachita Parish School Board approved guidelines for parents who do not want their child to take the state's new standardized tests next week.
"The parent has that choice. We just wanted these forms to verify their intent that the child opt out of the testing," said Superintendent Bob Webber.
He says as of last Friday, about two dozen request forms had been received by the district. Some parents and organizations are opposed to the state administering the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or PARCC tests. The tests were created with Common Core-aligned standards.
Webber says school systems are struggling with exactly how to address some situations in light of the new academic standards and tests. He adds, "fortunately we're not in a high stakes year, so if a fourth or eighth grader fails or does poorly, they can still be promoted to the next grade."
Last week, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and State Education Superintendent John White agreed to wait and see how many students opt out before creating an alternative plan for the annual assessment.
