As parents with children in the Somers Public Schools, we, the undersigned, object to the 'field tests' that students in our school district were subjected to during the month of June. These field tests do not inform instruction and do not measure student achievement. Rather, they are solely for the purpose of allowing Pearson (a privately-held corporation which is being paid $32 million to implement a new assessment program by the New York State Education Department) to try out questions for future tests -- in essence providing Pearson with free focus group testing. It is wrong for the New York State Department of Education to allow our children to be used without our knowledge, without our permission, and without any offer of compensation to provide this service which, in the free market, would cost Pearson millions of dollars, especially since field test questions were already embedded in the April state tests. Furthermore, we feel that it is wrong to steal instructional time away from our children for the benefit of private, corporate interests. For all these reasons, we strongly object to the field tests and urge the State to re-examine its policy and practices in this regard.

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