The Social Networks and Paradoxes of the Opt-out Movement - Amid the Common Core State Standards Implementation - The Case of New York

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Opting out of state standardized tests has evolved into an organized grassroots movement marked by refusals to take high-stakes assessments. In New York, opt-out rates reached 20% in 2015 and 21% in 2016. This study analyzes how social networks and policy paradoxes have driven the movement at its epicenter in the United States. Drawing on 221 press-coverage items and 30 archival documents, it applies social network analysis and policy-paradox coding to identify coalition structures, contested goals, and mobilized solutions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal | | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 25 Number 34 April 10, 2017 ISSN 1068-2341 | | The Social Networks and Paradoxes of the Opt-out Movement Amid the Common Core State Standards Implementation: The Case of New York Yinying Wang Georgia State University United States Citation: Wang, Y. (2017). The social networks and paradoxes of the opt-out movement amid the Common Core State Standards implementation: The case of New York. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25(34). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.2757](http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.2757) Abstract: Opting out of state standardized tests has recently become a movement—a series of grassroots, organized efforts to refuse to take high-stakes state standardized tests. In particular, the opt-out rates in the state of New York reached 20% in 2015 and 21% in 2016. This study aims to illustrate the social networks and examine the paradoxes that have propelled the opt-out movement in New York—the movement’s epicenter with the highest opt-out rate in the United States. Drawing on the conceptual frameworks of social movement theory, social network theory, and policy paradox, this study compiled the opt-out corpus by using the data from 221 press-coverage and 30 archival documents. Social network analysis was performed by examining the relational data that suggest coalition ties between movement actors. Further, to explicate how the movement actors forged coalition ties, all data in the corpus were then coded by Stone’s framework of policy paradox regarding how the movement goals were articulated, how the movement was framed, and what policy solutions were mobilized. In addition to identifying the movement actors and two competing coalitions, it is found that to forge coalition ties, the movement actors in the opposing coalitions articulated contested goals of standardized testing, framed the movement via symbols, numbers, and interests, as well as mobilized policy solutions via inducements, rights, and power. The findings have important and timely implications for policymakers and movement actors as they seek and advance on common ground to make substantive changes in education policy. Keywords: Common Core State Standards; education policy; network analysis; opt-out movement; policy paradox; social movement; social networks; standardized testing Las redes sociales y las paradojas del movimiento opt-out entre la implementaciónde los estándares estatales Common Core: El caso de Nueva York Resumen: La exclusión de las pruebas estandarizadas estatales se ha convertido recientemente en un movimiento organizado para rehusarse a tomar pruebas estatales dealto riesgo. El índice de opt-out en el estado de Nueva York llego a 20% en 2015 y a 21% en 2016. Este estudio ilustra redes sociales y examina las paradojas que han promovido elmovimiento opt-out en Nueva York, el epicentro con el índice más alto de opt-out en los Estados Unidos. Este estudio examina cómo los actores del movimiento crearon lazos dela coalición, cómo se articularon los objetivos del movimiento, cómo se enmarcó elmovimiento y cuales soluciones de polítiza se utilizaron en la teoría de los movimientos sociales, la teoría de las redes sociales y la paradoja de las políticas fueron movilizados. Deacuerdo con este estudio, para poder crear conexiones de coalición, los actores del movimiento en coaliciones opuestas articularon objetivos disputados de pruebasestandarizadas, enmarcaron el movimiento a través de símbolos, números e intereses, así como soluciones de políticas movilizadas a través de incentivos, derechos y poderes. Los hallazgos tienen implicaciones importantes y oportunas para los formuladores de políticasy los actores del movimiento a medida que buscan un terreno común para realizar cambiossustantivos en la política educativa. Palabras-clave: Common Core; p

FAQs

What problem does the opt-out movement address in New York?

It focuses on refusing high-stakes state standardized tests, especially in the context of Common Core State Standards implementation.

How did the study collect data for analyzing the movement?

It compiled an opt-out corpus using 221 press-coverage records and 30 archival documents, then analyzed relational coalition ties.

What does policy paradox explain about coalition formation in the opt-out movement?

It helps show how movement actors articulated contested testing goals, framed the movement through symbols and interests, and mobilized policy solutions via inducements, rights, and power.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag