Dive Summary:

• Superintendents, teachers, parents and students critical of Texas' student testing program crowded state House and Senate education committee hearings Tuesday calling for lawmakers to scale back on the high-stakes exams.
• Over 100 people signed up to testify in favor of scaling back the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, with many voicing support for a bill proposed by House Public Education Committee Chairman Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, that would reduce the number of required high school end-of-course tests from 15 to five.
• The Texas Senate additionally proposed eliminating the state's minimum high school diploma in favor of a single diploma with four concentration paths to choose from.

From the article:

AUSTIN — Critics of the Texas student testing program flooded hearings of the House and Senate education committees Tuesday, urging lawmakers to pull back on high-stakes exams in public schools. Superintendents, teachers, parents and even a few students called for scaling back the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, particularly in high school, where a large number of students cannot pass the exams. More than 100 people signed up to testify. ...