NY Students Begin Statewide English Assessments

On Tuesday, students in grades 3 through 8 will start on the statewide English language arts assessments. They'll spend a little under 1 ½ hours a day for three consecutive days, finishing Thursday.

The statewide math assessments are scheduled for April 30 through May 2.

This is the second year that the assessments will be based on the Common Core Learning Standards adopted by most states. The new standards emphasize critical thinking, reading comprehension and writing.

As the tests have gotten more difficult, the stakes have gotten higher. New York now requires that annual teacher evaluations take into account student performance on the assessments.

Some parents say New York puts too much emphasis on testing and that they'll have their kids skip them.