New hurdles for standardized testing

New rules are making it more important than ever for all students to participate in standardized testing

EAST NOTTINGHAM » New rules are making it more important than ever for all students to participate in standardized testing.

As explained by Assistant Superintendent Margaret Billings-Jones at the Tuesday, March 27, School Board meeting, as long as there if 95 percemt participation in PSSA tasting, the scores will be calculated as they have been with the missing students not included in the equation. Starting this school year, however, if fewer than 95 percent of students participate in PSSA testing, then each non-participant will be included in the totals and scored as “non-proficient.” This could have a significant impact on the district’s overall scores for the affected grade level.

At this point, the district has more than the required 95 percent participation, but they want to be sure that does not change. “The trend to opt out is increasing each year,” Billings-Jones said. “A lot of students who are capable of doing advanced work are not participating.”

Parents are required to come in to look at the test material in advance and write a letter to the district if they wish to have their child excluded from the tests. The option to opt out of testing was originally offered by the state for religious reasons, but was more recently opened to also include “other” reasons. It is the growth of the number of children not participating for “other reasons” that has the district concerned.

“If parents opt their child out, we can not override their decision,” Billings Jones said. Instead the district is making an effort to reach parents and let them know that this is an important decision. A letter has been formulated that will soon go home to families, explaining the situation and the value of their child’s participation in the testing.

In other business, board member Howard Robinson, who is the board’s representative to the Chester County Intermediate Unit, gave his report including a description of the Head Start Program.

The federal program is free to qualifying families. Currently there are 17 children ages 3 to 5 in the program at the Hopewell School. Their class meets from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with students receiving breakfast and lunch.

Robinson has personal experience with Head Start, as one of his children was in the program when the family first moved to the Oxford area decades ago. Eventually the young man graduated from the Oxford High School, ranked second in the class. “I think Head Start did him very well. I’m hoping to promote it whenever I can.”

Family income is a factor in eligibility for Head Start and other programs for students. The district also recognizes that there are homeless families among the student body. Billings Jones reported that there are currently 35 students from K through 12th grade that are classified as homeless. In the month of February, 17 students took home a total of 64 bags of food supplied by the Chester County Food Bank.