When a test notice becomes a culture war memo

14 Apr When a test notice becomes a culture war memo

By Dale Chu

Standardized testing season typically brings reminders about sleep and snacks—not culture war disclaimers. But a recent message to families from my daughter’s Colorado charter school, sent ahead of this month’s fourth-grade social studies test, took a very different tack.

Rather than a straightforward update on logistics (which, to be fair, parents received too), the note focused heavily on what the school doesn’t teach: “human sexuality,” “gender identity,” and “the perspectives and contributions of [LGBTQ+] historical figures.” It went further, stating that the school’s curriculum is not aligned with the state’s social studies standards. (Charter schools in Colorado have greater programmatic flexibility.) It also urged parents to read those standards and contact their legislators.

What’s most striking is the missed opportunity. The memo could have pointed parents to the core academic content their children will encounter—how Colorado became a state, how to read a map, how supply and demand works. It could have encouraged families to engage with the revised social studies standards, which were intended to strengthen a framework previously rated “inadequate” for its weak historical content. Instead, the school chose to amplify a narrow and politically charged element of the standards—one that may appear on the test but is unlikely to dominate it.

This missed opportunity doesn’t just affect the test—it undermines families’ ability to engage with the broader educational goals their children are meant to achieve.

The motives behind this kind of message aren’t hard to guess: a mix of culture war signaling and preemptive cover if test results disappoint. But when schools distance themselves from the standards—and, implicitly, from the test itself—it raises questions about the reliability of the state’s data. Colorado’s social studies exam is sample-based, administered on a rotating schedule to a subset of schools. Its value depends on that sample being representative. If schools encourage opt-outs or signal that they’re not teaching to the standards, the resulting data can distort more than it reveals.

As a parent, I’ve tried to avoid getting swept up in school politics. But in my daughter’s district—like many others—culture war flare-ups often obscure the more pressing question: Are our kids mastering the content that matters most?

At a time when testing advocates are focused on speeding up score reports or addressing the honesty gap, the notice I received from my daughter’s school is a reminder that policy priorities often diverge from what families actually experience. If schools want to enlist parents when it comes to state assessments, the focus should be on what truly matters—student learning and achievement—not on chasing red herrings.