Vermilion Parish has 94 students opt out of taking PARCC exams

Two days into PARCC testing, students in Vermilion Parish are still opting out of taking the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) exams.
A week ago the number of parents who are not letting their children take the PARCC exam was 56 students. Today, that number has grown to 94 students in grades 3rd through 8th.
School Superintendent Jerome Puyau said parish administrators are doing their best to try and convince parents and students to take the tests because it does not hurt the student’s academic standings. He said one administration was able to convince five parents on Monday to let their children take the tests this week.
Rene Rost Middle School in Kaplan continues to have the most students who are not taking the tests. Last week it was reported the school had 25 students. On Tuesday the number has grown to 47.
Kaplan Elementary had nine students a week ago and now the number is up to 17, who are not taking tests.
While the students will not be affected by not taking the tests, the schools will. Each student who does not take the PARCC exam gets a zero, which will not affect their report card grades.
However, when the state’s Department of Education figures out each school’s grade next year, Rene Rost Middle will have 47 zeroes against them.
This year the school was rated a “B” school.
With 47 zeroes, it will be hard to repeat as a “B” school.
State Superintendent of Education John White says student participation on the first day of testing was at 99%. There had been some concerns that parents might opt out their children taking the exams because of the current chaos involving common core in the state.
White told the Louisiana Radio Network,
“While there are a small number of isolated instances where there were comparatively large numbers of students not participating. The overwhelming majority participated in the test.”