Poll Shows Most Parents Would Opt Out of Standardized Testing to Make a Point

At last week's school board meeting, a group of parents against the of students launched a "new initiative" to get the board’s attention that includes a petition and .

The majority of parents responding to a recent poll on Broadneck Patch said they would consider keeping their students home on standardized test day to make a point. Seventy-eight percent voted in favor of a potential boycott of Maryland School Assessment (MSA) tests next spring.

There were 70 votes total with 55 saying they would consider keeping students home and 15 saying they would not.

Another recent showed that most respondents did not agree with the concept of grouping higher performing students with lower performers in honors classes.

It's not clear which schools currently use . Broadneck Patch requested a list from Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) but was told by spokeswoman Maneka Monk via email that they "do not have a comprehensive list of schools at this time."

Monk added that AACPS is "in the process of surveying principals about how they use their discretion to place students to be most successful and challenged in the classroom" and said the results would be shared later with the Board of Education and the public.