By Linda McCants Pendleton

While there are cautions -- for example, boycotting a test might get a student suspended -- the protests show how deeply some students and parents feel about the issue. Overall, the actions point to a healthy spirit of protest among students who see their education being compromised by the growing obsession with standardized tests.

The student protests have been particularly courageous and newsworthy because of the potential repercussions in some districts. Examples include:

• Massachusetts. Some 50 students at Danvers High School signed a petition to not take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test, arguing that it led to a watered-down curriculum and emphasis on test-taking. Seven of the students were suspended. Eugene Sommerfeld, the father of one of the boycotting students, said he supports his son's decision and is thinking of contacting the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's the American way," Eugene Sommerfeld said. "Protest is acceptable and admirable and healthy."

   

• In Newton, MA, 16-year-old Eva Shteir also refused to take the test, calling it an act of civil disobedience. "I can't believe that I face suspension because I don't want to be a guinea pig in this little experiment," she told the Associated Press. "It's not relevant and it's so disruptive to the curriculum." One administrator said Shteir would not be suspended, but would get a failing grade.

   

• California. Some 40 students at Drake High School in Marin County walked out on the state-mandated standardized test, known as STAR, and distributed leaflets saying: "Protest government racism and standardized testing." The students noted that a significant percentage of students in California speak Spanish, yet STAR is only offered in English. The students also wrote their high school district's board, the California Board of Education, and the governor. The Drake students had kept the principal informed of their actions, and no disciplinary action was taken against them. The protests have reportedly spread to other districts as well.