Parents defy DOE, refuse to submit children to I-STEP testing

A group of parents is defying the state Department of Education by refusing to submit their children to the state mandated I-STEP test.

The move is testing the boundaries of state law and putting one Indianapolis charter school in a vulnerable position.

As the father of a fifth-grader at The Project School, an Indianapolis charter school that teaches students through project-based learning, Matthew Brooks grew frustrated with the idea that state testing would be responsible for a significant impact on his daughter, her teachers and her school.

"I felt like we needed to stand up and make a real statement," Brooks said.

Brooks joined a movement called United Opt-Out National, encouraging families to refuse state testing. Soon he found other families at the school, like Anne Waxingmoon and her daughter Cadyn, who shared his frustration.

"I would find more value in letting her play on a playground and thinking about paint drying than spending her time taking an I-STEP," Waxingmoon said.

The parents joined an Opt-Out Indiana Facebook page, and decided to put it to the test at The Project School.

"There are plenty of other ways we can assess children without putting so much emphasis on just these few tests," said Elizabeth Annarino, another parent who joined the opt-out group.

State law requires schools to test all students in attendance, so many parents who want to opt-out have kept their kids out of class completely for up to two or even three weeks during the year, which are considered unexcused absences and could potentially result in legal action.

However, the group of parents at The Project School notified the staff that they would be sending their children to class, but that they would refuse to pick up a pencil and take their tests.

The leader of The Project School, Matthew Brooks, said he decided to allow the parents in to the school to provide alternate lessons to their children, while the teachers administered the tests to the remaining students.

In all, 29 students refused to take the I-STEP, which represented a high percentage of fourth and fifth grades for the small charter school.
The Project School did not endorse the opt-out effort. Testing coordinator Courtney Flessner said she contacted the Department of Education for guidance.

"The state had sent a memo stating that there was no policy for this," Flessner said.

The Department of Education isn't sure what to do about students who refuse the I-STEP because state law doesn't outline any consequences.

"The number one repercussion is, as a parent, you have no measure for the progress your student has made," said DOE spokesman Alex Damron.

"I know my child's progress,” Waxingmoon said. “I know where she's at because her teachers are skilled, trained professionals and they are keeping me abreast of her developments and needs along the way."

But the opt-out movement could jeopardize the schools and, in turn, the teachers. The DOE said students who refuse to take the test will not be counted against a school’s overall scoring average but it will hurt the school’s participation, which could impact its grade from the state.

Tarrey Banks said the potential impact on the school remains to be seen, but he admits it could hurt. Still, he said there is only so much he can do.

"From my perspective, it was an act of passive protest,” Banks said. “It was an act of democracy, and I certainly wasn't going to impede that."

"It is a form of protest,” Waxingmoon said. “That's exactly what this is."

"If the state decides to punish the school because children didn't want to be part of wrong action, then shame on the state," Brooks said.

According to the DOE, there are consequences for not taking some tests. Students who don't pass the third grade iRead test are not supposed to move on to fourth grade reading. If high school students don't pass their End of Course Assessments, they can't graduate.