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It is completely unacceptable that the Commissioner of Education in Rhode Island, #DebGist, never put into place a plan for all of our 39 District Superintendents to have protocol in place for children that were not taking the test. Instead you have parents being told inappropriate, confusing and stressing us out, someone from RIDE should have came forward and fixed their oversight and given guidance to Districts and parents. I have spoken to countless parents that have expressed the turmoil they are being dragged through. Parents have been told their child must sit in a room with the form and MUST take it, come and take your child home on the days of the test (keep in mind this will go for 1.5 weeks in March, and again in May), your child must sit in the room with the other children that are taking the test and can read for 3 hours with a book they bring from home, Your child will get a zero, your parent letters to Opt-Out of taking the test are 'Not Accepted'. Special Educaton goals for that day are not clear how they will be met beause "all teachers on hand" will be overseeing the tests. This is very stressful and paralyzing to the parents. Parents need clarity and consistency throughout the school districts. Where is the leadership, and how are we to have belief in a system that gives no trust for basic foundation protocol. I will say Cranston PV has been working with me to give my child who is in 7th grade, but reads and comprehends at lower levels a plan of action that will meet his needs since we are not taking the test. When a child has an IEP, which has measureable goals being met with the requirements of what must be met, my son does not need to take PARCC test that does not provide his necessary accommodations, and is setting him up for failure. My child has seen enough failure from the Dept. of Ed for many many years.