A spot-on NYT editorial, Opting Out of Standardized Tests Isn't the Answer:

An alarming 200,000, or 20 percent, of the students in grades three through eight in New York State public schools this yearrefused to take the state's standardized tests in reading and math that are supposed to measure progress in meeting national academic standards.

This ill-conceived boycott could damage educational reform — desperately needed in poor and rural communities — and undermine the Common Core standards adopted by New York and many other states. The standards offer the best hope for holding school districts accountable for educating all students, regardless of race or income.

…With opt-out activists threatening to redouble their efforts next year, political leaders need to convince everyone involved — school boards, superintendents, principals, parents, state education officials, guidance counselors, and teachers and their unions — of the importance of these tests and find ways to help students and teachers meet the challenge they pose.

Opting Out of Standardized Tests Isn't the Answer

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

AUG. 14, 2015 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/15/opinion/opting-out-of-standardized-tests-isnt-the-answer.html