OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - State Superintendent Ryan Walters is now echoing the calls from teachers' unions for reduced end-of-the-year standardized tests.

Does that mean OEA (Oklahoma Education Association) and Ryan Walters agree on something?

"So it seems," said OEA President Carri Elledge.

Supt. Walters announced on Friday that he wants to eliminate some of the testing required for certain grades.

Officials say districts will be able to use approved benchmark assessments in place of the end-of-year tests for grades 3-8 in Math and English Language Arts.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, a recent survey showed that 81% of nearly 23,000 parents said that state testing may not be necessary when evaluating students.

Lawmakers quickly responded and said that it would

See Full Page