First of two parts. School officials in the Merrick, North Merrick and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School districts say they do not yet fully know how certain parents’ refusal to allow their children to take new standardized tests will affect the students or their schools. more

Oceanside resident Ellen Fogel struggled with her conscience and her duty to her children for days prior to the recent state testing program. Was she going to let her children take the tests that … more

Last year, just before the November election, Hofstra University was fortunate enough to host a presidential debate. Prior to the debate, a variety of well-known political figures were invited to speak on the campus. more

Parents taking part in a movement spreading across Long Island have refused to let their children sit for state-mandated testing, protesting academic standards that they say have become unrealistically challenging. more

Despite a big push in certain communities on Long Island to boycott the state assessments, few students in Valley Stream refused to take the exams this year which test their skills in English Language Arts and math. more

A handful of parents in Merrick and North Merrick told school administrators that they would refuse to allow their children to sit for new standardized state exams, which began in elementary schools around the state this week. The parents, who believe that the standardized exams lack pedagogical merit and are harmful to students, say they would like to see a grass-roots civil-disobedience movement involving other parents taking the same action that would force the state to cancel the exams. In all, 50 students did not take the exams on Tuesday, the first day they were administered, according to officials in both districts. more

Rockville Centre is a school district that has always had a strong technology program, continuously purchasing new computers for its students to use. But that program could be tested by a new state … more

The largest teachers union in the state has rolled out a $250,000 advertising campaign opposing the new and tougher standardized test tied to the Common Core Standards, urging parents to join with … more

When students sit down to take their mandated English Language Arts assessment the third week of this month, and then math a week later, fewer will pass than last year. That’s the message from the New York State Education Department, which recently sent out a memo to school officials, warning them to expect a drop in scores. more

With the new Common Core Standards being implemented, New York state seems in line to roll out new, more difficult Regents Exams in the next school year, making them more akin to Advance Placement … more