How much time on testing?

I'd missed this AFT report sampling two middle-sized urban districts and how much time (and money!) they spend on testing. As Valerie Strauss reports:

*If testing were abandoned, one school district in this study could add from 20 to 40 minutes of instruction to each school day for most grades. The other school district would be able to add almost an entire class period to the school day for grades 6-11. Additionally, in most grades, more than $100 per test-taker could be reallocated to purchase instructional programs, technology or to buy better tests.

Among the items in the backup of Superintendent Boone's evaluation (which I started working through today, continuing tomorrow) is a master list of the standardized tests given here in Worcester. I've asked that it be shared (electronically) with us; I'll post it once we have it.

And while we're on the subject, here are five absurdities of standardized state assessments.