Emilia Teasdale is reporting in the Columbia Paper students throughout Columbia County are opting out of the state exams. In the Ichabod Crane district Superintendent George Zini said 68 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 are not taking the tests this week. Parents of students opting out were required to send a letter notifying the district of their decision. In the Chatham school district 32 percent, or 155 students, refused to sit for the exams. In Hudson, 85 students opted out. Dr. Neil Howard, superintendent of the Taconic Hills Central School District, said Wed., Apr. 15, 120 out of 644 students in grades 3 through 8 refused to take the test based on instructions from their parents. The English Language Arts, or ELA, exams are being administered over three days this week. The math test will be given next week. Opponents of the tests are seeking to end what they view as excessive testing. Others hope to undercut the validity of the exams, making the results too unreliable to be used as part of the new teacher evaluation system. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.