Information

regarding refusing
PARCC and CMAS
testing 2014 2015
In March and again in May,
students in grades 3-5 at
Trails West Elementary will
be administered the CMAS
tests in several subjects.
This
flyer
contains
information
about
the
Parents Right to Refuse all
PARCC-related testing, which
includes the CMAS tests.

Why Refuse PARCC

Testing?
PARCC testing is based on the Common Core
standards, which are untested and in many instances
age-inappropriate.
This type of testing is excessive. It fosters test-driven
education that is not meeting the individual
intellectual needs of students.
Too much time is taken from teaching and devoted to
testing, robbing children of valuable instruction time.
Individual teachers need to have more control over
what and how they teach and when they teach it.
The testing system is unproven and tremendously
expensive to implement.
The CMAS/PARCC testing is complicit in
supporting corporate interests rather than the
students and families rights of privacy.
The data collected via these tests is excessive,
invasive to the privacy of minors, sometimes
personal and completely unrelated to education, and
cannot be guaranteed security. In addition, this data
can be distributed by, and to, third party entities
without the knowledge or consent of parents.

Company Name

Too many private companies and government

agencies are using testing for marketing, data mining,
and product placement, despite the data being
collected from minors.
These high-stakes tests affect the emotional wellbeing of kids.

Trails West Elementary

PARCC/CMAS Testing
Information
twoptout@gmail.com

The PARCC tests require teachers to narrow their

curriculum in pursuit of college and career
readiness skills. Elementary school is too soon to
be training kids for jobs and careers.

Out of 24 states that originally adopted the PARCC

tests, only 10 states remain due to parents and teachers
opposing the tests.
In Colorado, the Department of Education State Task
Force conducted a survey of parents, teachers and
administrators. An overwhelming majority of
respondents want reduced testing.
On January 28, 2015 this task force recommended to
the Board Of Education that a reduction of testing is
necessary.
In January, the BOE voted 4-3 to allow districts to
apply for a waiver from testing. As of February, 10
districts have applied for waivers, including Douglas
County and Jefferson County.
In February, Pueblo teachers wore black to school in
protest of giving the excessive tests.
However, the Colorado Attorney General has declared
that waivers are not legal. Until the laws change, the
opinions of parents, teachers and administrators mean
very little.
Contact your legislators and let them know that you
want the laws changed.

Do I Have the Right to

Refuse the PARCC / CMAS
Tests for My Child?
Yes. The Supreme Court ruled in 1923 in Meyer vs.
State of Nebraska that parents have a right to direct
their childs education and upbringing.
Subsequent rulings have been made since then, the most
recent in 2000.
(Additional rules in 1925, 1944, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1978,
1979, 1982, 1993, 1997, 2000.)

Will refusing harm the

teachers at Trails
West?
Not this year.
In 2010, as part of the adoption of the Common
Core standards, a bill, SB10-191, was passed
that tied 50% of teacher evaluations on
classroom and professional practice. The other
50% was tied to academic growth measured by
student tests.
Due to a backlash, SB14-165 was passed that
allows districts to choose if they want to use the
50-50% assessment of teachers or not. Cherry
Creek School District has decided against using
the 50-50% model for the 2014-2015 school
year.
This exemption expires on July 1, 2015
though. If you would rather Colorado not
continue with the 50-50 model next year, please
contact your elected official and ask them to
support a repeal of SB10-191.
To view these bills, please visit:
www.legis.state.co.us

How Do I Refuse the Test

for My Child?
All that is needed is a letter to the principal stating your
intentions to exercise parental right of refusal for the
PARCC testing. It is recommended that you copy the
Superintendent of Cherry Creek School District and, if
desired, any legislators in the Colorado General Assembly
or on the State Education Committees within the Assembly.

Will refusing harm the

school or district?
Again. Not this year. Which is why the time is right to
refuse testing.
State law does say that all students must be tested and
that if less than 95% of students at a school are testing,
that school will drop 1 accreditation rating.

Who do I contact?
Elected officials! They are the key to getting more
local control back in our childrens education.

Colorado House Education Committee

Full list can be found here:

www.colorado.gov/lcs/HouseEDCmte
However, the state is anticipating a large rate of refusal
and has said they will allow schools to appeal ratings
drops based on parent refusal.

Colorado Senate Education Committee

Full list can be found here:

In SB09-163, as long as schools provide written

documentation of parent refusals, neither the school nor
the district will be held accountable for parental
decisions in their childrens education.
At a CCSD meeting on February 9, 2015, Dr. Bull,
Superintendent of Cherry Creek School District, did
confirm that the districts do have to give the test required
by law and parents do have the right to refuse the test.
He also confirmed that the state will not hold schools or
districts accountable for the decisions made by parents
to refuse tests.

Ensure your voice is heard!

Refuse all PARCC and CMAS tests for your child.
Write your elected official to let them know you do
not support excessive testing and data collection by
3rd party agencies on your child.

www.colorado.gov/lcs/SenateEDCmte

Colorado Department of Education

Email for all: state.board@cde.state.co.us

Governor John W. Hickenlooper

136 State Capitol Denver, CO 80203-1792
303-866-2471

Additional information on
refusing the test can be found at
http://unitedoptout.com/stateby-state-opt-out-2/colorado/
and many other websites.
For more information on the
PARCC tests, issues,
concerns, and parental rights
in education please email us:
twoptout@gmail.com