Lawmaker pushes measure to limit standardized tests in N.J.

A New Jersey lawmaker wants to make sure students don’t have to take any more standardized tests than the law demands.

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Dave Rible would require school superintendents to get approval from New Jersey’s Education Commissioner for districtwide tests other than the ones mandated by the state and federal governments.

“What is happening is our children in school are getting inundated with testing, benchmarks, assessments, where it’s becoming a complete distraction to the children’s education,” said Rible. “As much as we need to provide a great education and make sure our children are learning from the subjects, we have to be careful that we’re not mentally breaking them down as well.”

The measure would not apply to the classroom quizzes given by individual teachers.

Rible, R-Monmouth, said he hopes to get bipartisan support for the measure in the Legislature controlled by Democrats.

Even if it does not become law, he said he hopes it might convince school districts to cut back on their testing.