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Articles: Military Recruiting: No Child Left Behind

Military's aptitude test upsets parent

Kirsten Joyce, AZFamily

November 16, 2006

Rhonda's son is a junior at Central High School.

When he told his mom his class was scheduled to take an aptitude test to
explore career options, she was excited.

"I'm like, 'Great he needs to know his options and abilities,'" Rhonda said.

But when she picked her son up from school on Monday, "He said, 'Mom that
wasn't a career exploration test, it was a military aptitude test,'" Rhonda
said.

Excitement turned to anger.

"I felt like it was a roundabout way to trick students into giving them
information, " she said.

"In no way is anyone pressured to take or sign it," said district spokesman
Craig Pletenik.

Pletenik said Rhonda's son had taken the ASVAB Career Exploration Test, an
exam given every year to most juniors.

It is voluntary, but Pletenik said students are encouraged to take it.

"It's a tremendous tool for students, parents and counselors," he said.

The test is administered by the Department of Defense.

Rhonda wants to know why.

"I couldn't really say," Pletenik said. "I mean in 1968 is when they
started doing that. It's a service to the schools. We've always worked
with, means we don't have to go out, purchase a test, administer it."

Every year, the military contacts school districts for names, addresses and
phone numbers.

But parents have a choice at the beginning of the school year to sign an
opt-out clause, preventing the district from giving out that information.

That form is provided in the student's handbook. Rhonda said she signed
that form this year.

So why was her son still encouraged to take the test when he should have
been pulled from taking it?

"If that did in fact happen, then that was an oversight on our part,"
Pletenik said.

Rhonda's son did not provide his Social Security number or his name on the
voluntary test.

But for those students who did and whose parents have not signed the
opt-out clause, it is possible your child could get a call from the
Department of Defense.

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