With the inaugural PARCC test just a couple months away, some community members from municipalities in the Lenape Regional High School District are worried about the kids who decided to not take the new standardized assessment.
They are worried those students could be left to simply sit and stare.
A small group of parents and other residents came to last week’s board of education meeting to encourage the district to pass a policy for students choosing to opt out of the PARCC test.
Brigid Bandoner, the mother of a senior at Shawnee High School, spoke on behalf of the parents, presenting the board with a sample resolution the Delran School District passed in the fall. The resolution provides children who opt out of the PARCC test an alternative rather than sitting in front of an empty computer screen, a concept she called “sit and stare.”
“I’m asking the district to consider passing a resolution similar to this,” she said.
Bandoner’s concerns stem from a memo state Department of Education Commissioner David Hespe sent to district administrators across the state last fall. In the memo, Hespe stated “schools are not required to provide an alternative educational program for students who do not participate in the statewide assessment.”
Bandoner will not have a child in the Lenape district taking the test this year, as seniors do not participate in PARCC. However, she said her third-grade daughter is opting out of PARCC and believes students all school districts should have an option if students choose to not take the test.
“We can offer them the opportunity to go to study hall or to read a book,” she suggested.
Medford Lakes resident Kevin Ellicott agreed with Bandoner, saying he understands most students will be taking the test. However, he added students who opt out could be distracting to test-takers and felt there could be a solution where non-test takers can be productive and students taking the test won’t be distracted.
“We can either tell our students to sit and stare at the computer or we can let them study,” Ellicott said.
District officials and the board thanked Bandoner for bringing her comments forward. Board solicitor Arthur Risden said the district will take Bandoner’s comments into consideration during future decisions made on PARCC testing.
Board reorganizes for 2015
Prior to the start of its regular January meeting, the board of education swore in four members who won seats during the board elections in November.
Three incumbent board members, Paula Lee of Mt. Laurel, David Stow of Medford and Linda Eckenhoff of Southampton, were reelected to new three-year terms. Barry Fitzgerald of Evesham was also elected, having defeated incumbent Joanne Sanferraro in November. Fitzgerald was previously appointed to the Lenape board in 2011 to fill the seat of Joseph Fisicaro. He served on the board through 2012, when he lost to Sanferraro in an election.
For the second consecutive year, Stow was unanimously chosen to be the board president and Eckenhoff was picked to be vice president.
