Threatened with losing $1.4 billion in federal funding, Chicago Public Schools decided to change its original position in early March and administer the PARCC exam citywide to 3rd – 8th graders and some high school freshmen. However, the recent whirlwind of events left school officials scrambling with only one week to prepare the technology and testing rooms necessary to administer the test.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 3rd – 8th graders take at least five standardized tests each year, which has caused some parents and principals to voice their disdain for the PARCC test and have decided to have their children opt out of taking the exam.

Opting out of the PARCC simply means not taking it. In most cases parents fill out a form provided by the school allowing their child not to take the test.

However, in October 2014 Superintendent of the Illinois Board of Education, Chris Koch, said in a newsletter to parents that “students may not opt out of the PARCC assessment,” and if they did the student will be violating state and federal law.

At Lane, 7th graders through freshmen take the PARCC; however, the administrative staff declined to comment on the exact number of students who took the PARCC and how many students opted out of the exam.

“The number could possibly be a violation,” said Assistant Principal Ms. Edwina Thompson.

According to Mrs. Alison Hildebrandt, Data and Assessment Coordinator, students who opt out at Lane may “engage in a silent, student-guided instructional activity. Students may engage in personalized learning, silent reading, drawing, writing or other school work.”

Troy LaRaviere, principal at Blaine Elementary, a Chicago Public School in Lakeview , has supported families at his school who choose to opt of the PARCC. LaRaviere has become known as an activist for the anti-testing movement. As a result he has contributed his opting out views to multiple Sun-Times articles and frequently writes about it on his own personal blog.

LaRaviere called the PARCC “not well designed” and “hasn’t been field tested correctly.” He fears that the PARCC test will convince parents that CPS schools are failing if their children do poorly on the exam.

“CPS is attempting to scare parents” from being able to opt their children out of the PARCC, LaRaviere said in a phone interview.

“There’s a theory that testing proves education. That theory has failed,” LaRaviere said.

In recent weeks there has been confusion if it was against the law for students to opt out of the PARCC. Organizations like

More than a Score and Raise Your Hand – both organizations supporting the opting out movement – reported that the Illinois Board of Education falsely reported that it is illegal for students to not take the exam.

“Students are allowed to opt out. Period,” LaRaviere said.

LaRaviere said there is no law prohibiting students from not taking the PARCC and the reason people believe that is illegal to opt out of the PARCC is because there is no law allowing students to do so.

“There is no law allowing that I can scratch my forehead but I can. There is no law allowing students to opt out, but there is no law prohibiting students from not taking the exam,” LaRaviere said.

In order for students at Blaine Elementary to opt out of the exam, all they needed to do is hand in a form signed by their parents.

“That right there is good enough for us,” LaRaviere said.

As of March 13, 78 percent of LaRaviere’s school had decided to opt out of the PARCC.

While LaRaviere says it is not illegal for students to opt out of the PARCC, some schools have been informed that if a certain percentage of their students do not take the test, the school could lose funding.

Illinois, according the Chicago Tribune, warned all schools statewide that if 95 percent of students do not take the PARCC, Illinois could possibly lose federal funding.

Cassandre Creswell, an organizer with More than a Score and a board member of Raise Your Hand said during a phone interview that schools who have students opting out of the PARCC will not lose funding.

“Even if 100 percent of students opt out [of the PARCC] the school will not lose funding,” said Creswell.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, said Creswell, includes a mandate that required schools to have a 95 percent participation rate on state tests or face a loss of funding or face sanctions.

However, in 2014, the state of Illinois received a waiver from NCLB that replaces sanctions. The waiver says that the state must still have a 95 percent participation rate, but penalty of not reaching the percentage goal does not result in a loss of funding.

Creswell said More than a Score and Raise Your Hand will not know the exact number of students who decided to opt out of the PARCC in Illinois until after mid-May when the PARCC is finished. But at her estimation at least 10,000 students in Illinois will have opted out of the PARCC.

The students who have not opted out of the PARCC, according to the ISBE website, will be expected to take another round of the exam sometime in late April or early May.

PARCC testing at Lane will begin April 27 and run through May 1.