Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that the Coxsackie-Athens and Catskill school districts have been removed from the state’s “Targeted Districts” list after their standardized test scores and other metrics improved. The state compares schools standardized tests results, including ELA and math tests given in grades 3-8 and the Regents exams, and also factors in chronic absenteeism rates and other metrics in deciding which districts are targeted for improvement. Coxsackie-Athens Superintendent Randall Squire said, “We believe our kids are more than a test score.... We believe by concentrating and focusing on the whole child and providing the environment they need to achieve their own extraordinary success, one of the results is an improvement on standardized tests — but we don’t focus on them, we don’t teach to the tests. We believe there are other indicators that are more accurate to determine whether a kid is going to be ready for college, career, life.” Catskill Superintendent Dan Wilson, who is currently facing a petition being circulated through the community for his resignation over an employment issue, said it “fantastic news and something our entire school community can be proud of.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.