No PARCCing: District Releases Final Refusal Totals in Montclair

How many Montclair students – and parents – opted out of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam (PARCC) in 2015?

According to final totals released by the school district, almost half of all students refused to take the state-mandated exam during its two rounds of testing this year.

The trend was most noticeable at Montclair High School, where 79.3 percent of students refused to participate in the test.

The Montclair school district wasn’t alone in its opposition to the PARCC exam, which was developed by testing giant Pearson Education.

Districts across Essex County have reported significant resistance to the controversial test, designed to align with the Common Core State Standards.

But the grassroots movement may come with a price, according to state officials, who have warned that schools which fail to meet the federally mandated 95 percent participation rate for the PARCC may face state and federal funding cuts. [See related Patch article]

Here are the final totals of PARCC refusals, courtesy of the Montclair school district.

• Bradford: 16.5 percent (36 out of 218 students)
• Bullock: 45.2 percent (112 out of 248 students)
• Edgemont: 46.3 percent (68 out of 147 students)
• Hillside: 28.7 percent (142 out of 495 students)
• Northeast: 15.6 percent (34 out of 218 students)
• Watchung: 7.9 percent (18 out of 227 students)
• Glenfield: 34.7 percent (239 out of 689 students)
• Mt. Hebron: 37.9 percent (246 out of 649 students)
• Renaissance: 55.6 percent (154 out of 277 students)
• Montclair High School: 79.3 percent (1,152 out of 1,453 students)

Send Montclair news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com