Betty Rosa is the newly elected head of New York state’s education policymaking body, and her leadership will likely indicate a huge shift in how the state, which is home to the nation’s largest school district, handles state exams.

Rosa said recently that if she were a New York parent, she would opt her students out of the state’s exams too, saying there needs to be significant reform to build parent’s trust again in the aftermath of the country’s largest opt-out movement.

According to the New York Chalkbeat, "Rosa’s statements underscore the striking nature of Monday’s leadership shift. Former Chancellor Merryl Tisch was a staunch defender of the exams, which grew more difficult to pass under her leadership as they incorporated the Common Core standards. Last year, frustrations about testing led to one in five eligible students not taking the tests statewide.”

While Rosa did not make it clear that she would like to see less opt-out numbers this testing season, other New York education officials were quick to highlight the change in state exams and encourage parents to have their children sit for them.

"During the press conference, Commissioner Elia underscored the changes she has made to the state tests this year to make them more palatable for students and parents, including shortening the exams, granting students unlimited time to complete them, and involving more educators in revamping the tests,” the article said.

"And the new vice chancellor-elect, Regent Andrew Brown, was clear that he would like to see fewer opt-outs in the coming years.”

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

3/21/2016