| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 5/6/2009 5:12:07 PM Home School Legal Defense Association South Dakota--Rapid City Creates Confusion Over Computer Literacy Test |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== South Dakota--Rapid City Creates Confusion Over Computer Literacy Test Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: Anxious families have been calling HSLDA for help in facing what appears to be a new testing mandate. Rapid City Schools Office of Alternative Education recently sent a letter to homeschool families announcing that: "8th grade students will be taking the South Dakota State 8th Grade Technology Assessment (SDTLA)...as required by program guidance under No Child Left Behind. States are to be sure that all 8th [grade] students are technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade." This sounds like a mandate, especially considering the context: a letter to homeschool families from the office that deals with homeschool families. Furthermore, some families were told in personal conversations with school officials that homeschoolers needed to take the test. To set the record straight, homeschooled students are not required to take the SDTLA. Any statements to the contrary are misinformation. At the end of the letter, the author states that a parent should call him "should you desire" their student to take the test. While this statement makes the testing sound optional, it does not counteract the mandatory language of the first paragraph. It only creates confusion. HSLDA Staff Attorney Scott Woodruff contacted the Director of the Office of Alternative Education asking him to send out a follow-up letter explaining unequivocally that the SDTLA is not mandatory for homeschool families. The director apologized for the confusion. HSLDA recommends that you not have your student take the SDTLA. Your wishes as to how your student's test results are used might not be honored. In 2000, HSLDA was successful in inserting language into federal law protecting homeschoolers from the tests that are mandated under No Child Left Behind. However, if homeschoolers now voluntarily submit to the tests, including the SDTLA, it could provide ammunition for those who might want to make the test mandatory for homeschoolers. By staying away from tests that are mandatory for public school students, you help protect homeschool freedom. Sincerely Yours, Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Will your children's inheritance retain its value? If you pass on a legacy of freedom, your children and their children's children will thank you. But freedom is never secure; it must always be guarded. Membership with HSLDA is an investment in the future that can be passed on to future generations of families wanting to teach their children at home. 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