Dive Brief:

• In an effort to reduce the testing burden on students and teachers, Tennessee is eliminating its TNReady high school chemistry and English III assessments largely taken by 11th-graders, the Tennesseean reports.
• The eliminations followed two votes by Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen's 30-member assessment taskforce, with the English III decision reportedly being the most contentious, but McQueen says the move doesn't reduce the importance of those subjects.
• TNReady assessments have had a troubled history overall, with testing in grades 3-8 canceled in spring 2016, a small number of high school exams being incorrectly graded in the 2016-17 school year, and ongoing questions from parents about the amount of time students spend on exams.

Dive Insight:

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act, passed in late 2015 and now being implemented nationwide, allows more flexibility on standardized assessment — largely in response to concerns about the amount of time spent on preparation for mandated high-stakes standardized exams at the expense of a well-rounded education. Tennessee's efforts to eliminate exams and reduce that burden on educators and students alike is in line with that intent. 

As Jason Parker, a data specialist with the Tennessee Department of Education, tweeted, the move allows high school juniors a chance to put more attention toward college entrance exams and applying to schools in general.

Amid testing reductions, however, schools still walk a line in how they demonstrate accountability under federal standards. For a look at how a handful of states approved last fall are doing that, check out our entry for ESSA from the 2017 Dive Awards.