High-stakes testing hasn’t brought education gains 

In recent weeks, a few national civil rights organizations including the National Council of La Raza, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and National Urban League have vocally opposed efforts to highlight the dangers of high-stakes testing by students and parents opting out of annual assessments. Uniting under the banner of the Washington, D.C.-based Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, these groups are urging parents to comply with annual testing requirements. We strongly disagree with their position.  

Data from these annual assessments are not a reasonable proxy for educational opportunity and equity. African-American and Latino students are more likely to be suspended, expelled, or pushed out of school regardless of their performance on state tests, and, despite some improvement in graduation rates, significant disparities remain.