Families Increasingly Plan to Opt Out of State Testing

It started with a trickle a few years ago, and it may still be only a small stream, but more and more New Jersey families appear intent on opting to have their children not take the state’s standardized tests.

Nearly 700 people have signed onto a Facebook group called “Opt-Out of State Standardized Tests -- New Jersey,” reflecting the mounting criticism to the increased reliance on standardized testing not just in New Jersey but nationwide.

Earlier this month, Newsday reported more than 5,500 Long Island students had opted out of New York State’s tests, which have been particularly controversial.

And while the New Jersey protesters still represent just a tiny fraction of the number of students taking the tests, perhaps the clearest evidence of the growing opposition came in the last few weeks as the state Department of Education started advising school districts on how to deal with students opting out of the state’s upcoming NJASK tests.

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