Statewide student achievement tests will continue to be a Colorado rite of spring.

An Adams County lawmaker withdrew a bill Thursday that would have allowed parents to yank their children from the annual exams administered under the Colorado Student Assessment Program.

The tests are unpopular among teachers and some parents, who say they take time from educational activities. But making the exams optional could jeopardize federal funds, said Rep. Edward Casso, D-Thornton.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Law, states must demonstrate learning through achievement tests. Schools must show 95 percent participation.

"I have come to recognize there are potential catastrophic, unintended consequences," Casso told the House Education Committee in withdrawing House Bill 1287. "We're talking about the potential loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid."

Participation in 2006 CSAP tests was almost 99 percent.

Parents can't be punished for keeping children home on CSAP days, but school districts face stiff penalties for no-shows.

Casso said he is not withdrawing another bill to ease the penalty on districts for the no-shows. It will come before the education committee at another meeting, possibly next week, Casso said.

Students who don't take CSAP tests are given the same score as the lowest performing pupils - minus-5 on a scale that tops out at 1.5. Just a few no-shows are enough to lower the rating of a school on the annual state school report cards.

Under Casso's bill, no-shows would not be counted in a school's score.

Also under Casso's bill, many handicapped students would not be counted in a school's overall score. The state education department would record their scores separately.

That provision is opposed by organizations of the handicapped. Those groups also opposed Casso's bill to allow parents to keep children home on CSAP days.

"Everybody should be included when tests are taken and not excluded," said Mike McCarty of the Colorado Cross-Disabilities Coalition and the Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council.

Under the federal law, schools are supposed to test the handicapped to assure that they are being served.

morsonb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5209