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Statewide testing raises stress levels in Oklahoma schools

After months of preparation, the notorious number two pencils come out Thursday at schools across Oklahoma: Standardized testing has begun.

There's a lot at stake, especially for third graders and high school seniors.

Under a state law that takes effect this year, third graders who don't pass reading proficiency tests can be held back, whether parents agree or not.

High school students now have to pass four of seven tests in order to graduate, regardless of the grades on their report cards.

And soon, teachers' evaluations -- and their careers -- will depend on what kind of score their students achieve.

Max Myers, Asst. Superintendent for Coweta and a former test coordinator, says teachers are feeling the stress, and looking forward, many have concerns.

"They're very stressed, because moving forward into next year, this (students' test scores) counts toward their evaluation," Myers told KRMG."Those students may not care."

"That's a lot of pressure if I'm a teacher" he added, "that I'm teaching these students that don't care how my evaluation looks, and so they may not perform like they can, they may just go in and fill in bubbles."

Many parents have objected strongly to the increased emphasis on testing, saying too much time is spent teaching kids how to take tests, rather than actual instruction.

And last year, major computer glitches badly marred the testing process.

So far this year, no computer problems -- but as Myers pointed out, it's only the first day.

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