The state Board of Regents Mon., Jun. 12, announced it will reduce the number of testing days from three to two for students in grades 3 through 8 statewide next year. “The Regents have taken a bold step forward today,” said Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. “This decision not only reduces the amount of time children will spend taking tests, but also returns valuable instructional time to our teachers. We will make certain the tests continue to provide a valid and reliable measurement of student achievement.” The change will take effect beginning with the Spring 2018 testing period. State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said the decision was made in response to concerns expressed by parents and teachers, alike. Her department last year reduced the number of test questions on both the English Language Arts and math exams, and moved to untimed testing. Read the full press release online at N Y S E D [dot] gov.