The primary purpose of assessment in our public schools should be to improve teaching and learning.

Oklahoma’s current system of high-stakes testing offers little benefit to students, parents, teachers or taxpayers. Scores from current costly high-stakes tests offer little support as diagnostic tools to inform instruction. Funds to administer these exams are diverted from useful educational activities, to the detriment of our children, our districts, and our communities.

For these reasons and more, we the undersigned, parents, caregivers, students, teachers and taxpayers hereby petition Governor Fallin, the Oklahoma State Board of Education and members of the Oklahoma Legislature to immediately halt the practice of relying on state-mandated, standardized exams results for anything other than diagnostic purposes. Standardized Test scores should not be a primary method to determine student, teacher, or school evaluations.

We further petition the State Board of Education to immediately develop a comprehensive “Opt Out” policy that allows parents to have their children excused, without penalty, from participating in state-mandated tests until results are used appropriately to improve teaching and learning. Local districts must be directed to offer high-quality educational activities for students whose families choose not to participate in state-mandated testing.