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IT'S ALMOST THE END OF THE
SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH MEANS
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS NORTH
DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA WILL BEGIN
STANDARDIZED
TESTING.
WHAT IF YOU DON'T WANT YOUR KIDS
TO TAKE THOSE TESTS? VALLEY
NEWS TEAM'S
CORNELIUS HOCKER REPORTS ON WHY
PARENTS ARE HAVING THEIR KIDS
OPT OUT OF STATE TESTING.
"IT'S NOT A VERY FAIR WAY TO SEE
HOW A CHILD REALLY IS DOING
BECAUSE SOMETIME
IT'S JUST THE TEST ITSELF THAT
IS ENOUGH TO
CLAM UP AND NOT BE ABLE TO
FINISH"
ALTHOUGH KRISTIN DURHAM HOME
SCHOOLS HER CHILDREN,
SHE'S FAMILIAR WITH
STANDARDIZED TESTING DURHAM
SAYS TAKING STATE STANDARDIZED
TESTING IS
SOMETHING HOME SCHOOL PARENTS
TOGGLE WITH AS THEY'RE MAKING
DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR KID'S
EDUCATION
"YOU CAN STILL TEST YOUR KIDS IF
YOU WANT TO
SEE WHERE THEY'RE PLACING IN
NATIONAL
STANDARDS FOR YOUR OWN
INFORMATION."
BOTH DEPARTMENTS IN
MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA
THAT HANDLE STANDARDIZED TESTING
TOLD US THERE ARE WAYS
FOR PARENTS TO KEEP THEIR KIDS
FROM TAKING THE TEST , WHETHER
IT BE KEEPING THEM HOME FROM
SCHOOL OR OBJECTING TO IT IN
WRITING.
WE STOPPED BY SYLVAN LEARNING
CENTER WHERE THE DIRECTOR
TELLS US HER ORGANIZATION
DOESN'T HAVE AN OPINION FOR
OR
AGAINST TAKE STATE TESTS. SHE
SAYS PARENTS WHO
COME IN WITH THOSE RESULTS
ARE NOT TURNED AWAY.
"IT'S ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION
RIGHT THAT
HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS
CHILD COULD POTENTIALLY NEED IF
THEY COME TO US."
"WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. WE'RE ALL
INDIVIDUAL
PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE ARE GREAT
WITH HEIR
HANDS AND SOME PEOPLE ARE GREAT
WITH
THEIR MINDS. THOSE TEST DON'T
CATER TO
CERTAIN ABILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S VERY
SPECIFIC."
CORNELIUS HOCKER. VALLEY NEWS
LIVE.
WE REACHED OUT TO SEVERAL
SCHOOLS ACROSS THE VALLEY,
HAWLEY HIGH SCHOOL,
MOORHEAD HIGH AND NORTH FARGO TO
NAME A FEW.
ALL OF THEM TELL US NO PARENTS
HAVE TOLD THEM THEIR
KIDS CAN'T TAKE THE STATE
TESTING WHICH BEGINS THIS
WEEK.