NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system
ALBANY, N.Y. June 11, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today called for a major overhaul of New York's standardized testing system, saying the nearly 4,500 minutes, or 74 hours, the average student spends on standardized testing over their school years profits giant testing companies, but cheats students out of a rich and full education.
While emphasizing that teachers - and teachers' unions - are not opposed to either accountability or assessing student performance, NYSUT said the fixation on standardized testing has thrown the state's education system out of balance.
"We need to restore that balance," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "Tests must be better aligned to the new core curriculum and more useful in guiding
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"Standardized tests are not inherently bad. Combined with other measures of student learning, standardized tests can be a useful diagnostic tool for teachers to use. However, when standardized tests are overemphasized, or misused, we must say enough is enough. We have reached that point."
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