Berne-Knox-Westerlo students with disabilities who were tested were among the lowest 10-percent in their group for English, math, and science, and were also among the lowest 10-percent for growth in English and math, according to a spokeswoman for the State Education Department.

A Voorheesville mother raised concerns that  90 percent of Voorheesville sixth-graders have averages of 85 or higher and yet, on standardized tests, only 20 to 30 percent score in the top.

According to the State Education Department, a majority of BKW students in grade 3-8 who took the spring 2016 English Language Arts test  scored below proficiency levels.

Ninety-seven Voorheesville students opted out of the state English Language Arts tests this week, after the administration and school board gave a presentation on how the exams would be given.

To the Editor:

This is what I wrote to the members of the Voorheesville Board of Education.

By doing away with the pre- and post-assessment tests for evaluations, the Guilderland teachers' union took a bold step for students' welfare that other districts should follow.

The worth of an education cannot be measured in test scores; rather, its value becomes apparent as life unfolds. Schools must be careful not to cut or curb what most ignites students' passions.