Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union the state Board of Regents September 17, agreed to drop a plan that would have allowed financial restrictions on schools where more than five percent of its students are boycotting the standardized math and English tests. Under the original proposal, the state Education Commissioner could have required schools where fewer than 95 percent of students take the tests to use a portion of their federal Title I money to develop programs to increase participation. Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia stressed that the plan did not mean that schools would get less money, although some people misinterpreted it that way. The rule faced opposition by parents who are part of the opt-out movement that opposes many standardized tests, and by the state's major teachers’ union, New York State United Teachers. New York has had substantial number of opt-outs, or students who boycott the annual math and English exams. The tests are used to gauge school performance but they don’t factor into individual student grades. During the 2017-18 school year approximately 19 percent of the roughly 1 million eligible students boycotted the tests, down from 21 percent two years ago. The new rules will be finalized after a 30-day comment period. The Regents will likely give final approval in December. Read the full story in the Times Union.