Bill eliminates test requirement

CARSON CITY -- Students won't be spending as much time taking tests under a bill approved 40-0 in the Assembly.

Assembly Bill 498 eliminates the requirement that school districts administer the NRT, norm-referenced test, to pupils in the fourth, seventh and 10th grades. The test results were used to compare the results of Nevada students with other states.

Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, said that National Assessment of Education Progress test still will be given to students and that those results can be used to compare Nevada results with other states.

"They are duplicative," he said.

By ending one test, the state will save $1.8 million over the next two years.

The bill goes to the Senate for further review.