August 3, 2011 Ms.

Smith Superintendent of Schools Anywhere Unified School District 12345 Meadowbrook Road Anywhere, CA 96024 Dear Ms. Smith, Please accept this letter as our request to excuse our daughter, Jennifer Jones, from participation in standardized achievement testing as is allowed in 60615 of the California Education Code. This request includes the state mandated assessments of the California Standardized Testing and Reporting assessment program (STAR/CAT 6), as well as the Anywhere Unified School District Standardized Assessment program (DSAs). (this is our local school districts standardized testing program for students K-12) We believe such testing to be unjust, counter-productive, and harmful to the education and development of our son. Timed, one-chance tests do not show regard to variables in context or circumstance affecting student performance on the days of testing. In addition, we do not wish to participate in mandated programs that coerce school districts into compliance with punishments that adversely affect the resources, standing, and operations of our locally controlled pubic schools. The state oversteps its bounds and does a disservice to the public when it ignores professionals in local schools, arbitrarily making educational decisions (funding, status, and otherwise) based solely upon these one-chance tests. We understand that it is an educators professional duty to assess the learning of each student in the classroom. Our request is not intended to restrict professional assessment (formative or summative) by the classroom teacher to which our child is assigned. Best regards,

Mr. and Mrs. Jones 12345 Winding Lane Anywhere, CA 96024 (555) 555-5555

cc:

Ms. Kathy Baker, Principal, Anywhere Elementary School Mr. Timothy Roberts, President, Anywhere Unified School District Board of Trustees Mr. Tom Torlackson, California Superintendent of Public Instruction