Test-Participation Mandate Puts States on Spot

Education Week: As states prepare for the transition to the new federal education law passed last month, one of the thornier policy questions is how they'll consider test-participation rates in their accountability systems, after a year in which the testing opt-out movement rose to national prominence.

States are considering various approaches to try to ensure schools meet the requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (the newest iteration of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act) that 95 percent of eligible students take state exams in English/language arts and math.

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