Say no to RI field testing the PARCC in Spring 2014

According to this news release (which I found thanks to the United Opt Out Facebook group), Rhode Island is (of course) among the 14 states slated to "field test" the Common Core-aligned PARCC test in the spring of this coming academic year. As Jennifer Croslin Smith, who pointed out on Facebook about this happening in Tennessee, wrote, "Field testing basically makes our children unpaid employees of the testing company--Pearson--and provides no useful information for teachers or parents."

Here's a first pass at what I plan to ask Commissioner Gist and/or others at RIDE in order to learn more in order to know what's necessary to consent to our children's participation in an informed way, or to opt out:

• How many schools and students will be involved? What are the criteria by which they will be chosen (and by whom/what will they be chosen)?
• How does RIDE plan to share information with potential participants?
• Will parents have the opportunity to say no to their kids' participation? How do you opt out?
• What are the consequences of yet another test being dumped on some our students and their teachers? 
• How will students be able to make up for instructional time that they missed while participating in this field test?

I'll keep you posted!