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Re: “An ill-advised vote on testing opt-outs by Colorado Senate,” April 8 editorial.
A significant number of students, particularly those in middle and high schools, are already opting out of standardized tests, even when they are taking them.
To think a high school student tries his or her hardest on every test is naive at best. De facto opt-out is the choice for far too many students simply because they are the only ones with no skin in the game. What motivation does a teenager have on any standardized test required by the state, other than the ACT?
We need creative ways to incentivize students to demonstrate their absolute best performance on these tests. Colorado would lead the nation in academic performance if students had to score proficient or better to receive their driver’s license, or to receive a meaningful and significant financial aid reward to attend a state-funded university.
We need to create meaningful opportunities for students to be motivated to demonstrate their absolute best on every test. Then parents and students won’t opt out; they will opt in.
Mark Newton,Denver
This letter was published in the April 11 edition.
