A Record Number of Students Opt Out and Say “No!”

Authorities say thousands of students sat out the first day of New York's statewide English assessments. Reports from around the state indicate varying levels of participation in the Common Core-aligned tests, which continue Wednesday and Thursday. While about 98 percent of third- through eighth-grade students in Schenectady sat for the assessments Tuesday, only about 30 percent of eligible students in West Seneca did. Parent critics and teachers unions say the tests and time spent preparing for them take away from creative instruction and that tying results to annual teacher rankings has worsened the problem. But state Education Department spokesman Jonathan Burman says test refusal is a mistake because it deprives parents and taxpayers of information about how students are doing. Statewide math assessments are scheduled for next week.