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Opt Out Testing Bill Approved by Delaware Senate

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The Delaware Senate has approved a measure that would allow parents to opt out of a new state assessment test.

But, it was expanded to allow parents to also keep their children from having to take district wide tests as well as the Smart Balanced Assessment tests.

In addition, the measure would allow high school juniors to opt out of the statewide test as well.

This means that the measure must return to the House for a final vote.

Senate Education Committee Chair David Sokola said that he believed the bill was better but still represented bad policy.

The Newark Democrat voted against the legislation.

Meanwhile, the bill’s sponsor Representative John Kowalko was dismayed saying he believed the changes would kill the bill.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that the Delaware PTA said it was not pleased with the change but added it still strongly supports the bill.

Some parents and teachers say they believe the test puts too much stress on their children and takes too much time away from education.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.