NC Bills Would Change Student Testing

RALEIGH — Sen. Steven Metcalf has filed a bill that would prevent the State Board of Education from introducing any standardized tests into North Carolina schools unless they are required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The bill was prompted by Metcalf's “growing concerns that public school students are being exposed to too much standardized testing that takes away from classroom instructional time," though Metcalf's staff could not say how much time is currently devoted to test-taking in NC schools. Other bills have also been filed this year to change the state testing program significantly.