Handling Opt-Outs - Standard Ed Knowledge Base

Overview

Districts handle assessment opt-outs differently, so SRSS-IE supports two paths: flagging a student before screening begins, and opting a student out at the moment of screening. Both are optional, and your district's policy determines when either is used.

Opting Out Before Screening

The roster file includes an optional Opt-out column. Put Y next to any student who should not be assessed; leave the field blank or set it to N for students who should be.

Use this path when your district notifies families in advance and collects opt-out requests before the screening window opens.

Y means do not assess

The opt-out column flags exclusion, not inclusion. A Y removes that student from screening. Double-check the direction of this column before uploading — inverting it is the single most consequential roster mistake.

Students flagged this way still appear in the teacher's student list, grayed out. They are not removed from the list entirely, so teachers can see that the student was accounted for rather than wondering whether someone was missed.

Opting Out During Screening

Each student's screener carries an additional selection teachers can use without going back through the district. In the template Standard Education provides, this is scoped narrowly to late-enrollment opt-outs, with both of the following required:

The student enrolled in the district after your SRSS cut-off date; and
The counselor has received a letter from the parent asking that the student not participate

Districts sometimes widen this in practice — for instance, letting teachers opt out a student who has withdrawn, or one they have not observed long enough to rate fairly. Whatever you decide, put it in writing in the kickoff email.

Set the rules before the window opens

Because teachers can opt students out on their own, tell them ahead of time when that is appropriate in your district. Without guidance, opt-out usage varies widely between buildings and makes completion rates harder to read.

Effect on Your Data

Opted-out students are excluded from scoring. Keep this in mind when you review results:

Completion percentages count opted-out students as resolved, not outstanding.
Opted-out students do not appear in tier counts on the scores dashboard.
A building with an unusually high opt-out rate is worth a conversation — it may reflect a local policy difference rather than a data problem.

Where to Set Policy

Standard Education does not set opt-out policy for your district. Decide before the screening window opens who may opt a student out, on what grounds, and whether teachers should document a reason. Then include that guidance in the email you send teachers — see Emailing Teachers.