Most of New York state’s elementary students took state tests meant to show how they are faring under a heavier academic load, but thousands sat them out under instructions from their parents, who say the state relies so heavily on testing that it’s interfering with learning.
Advocacy groups estimate that more than 28,000 of the state’s 1.2 million 3rd through 8th graders skipped the three-day English/language arts assessments this month. That’s more than double last year’s number. The mathematics assessments begin April 30.
Opposition to standardized testing in New York is not new, but it has intensified in the past two years, since the state made such tests count for at least 20 percent of a teacher’s annual performance score and based questions on the more challenging Common Core State Standards.
