1 In 4 Colorado 11th-Graders Skipped Their State’s Standardized Test − Geography and Income Help Explain Why
Originally published with Lydia Ross, Carlos Casanova, and Sherman Dorn in The Conversation on November 14, 2023.
The big idea
About one in four 11th-graders in Colorado exercised their right to skip the state’s official science test each year between 2016 and 2019. More specifically, between 23% and 27% of 11th-graders did not participate in the science exam during those years. That’s what we found in a study published in AERA Open. Our study was based on a geographical analysis of state data that revealed how many students decided to skip the test during the years in question.
Why it matters
Opting out of tests is part of a recent national educational movement across the United States. The opt-out movement garnered national attention in 2015 and 2016 after growing dissatisfaction with high-stakes testing, both as a tool to evaluate teacher performance and assess student learning. Many students and parents do not believe in the importance of standardized tests as a measure of academic achievement.