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Rally Urges N.Y. Parents To Opt Out On Eve Of More Common Core Testing

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Another round of Common Core testing was set to kick off on Wednesday, and growing number of students have elected to opt out.

On the eve of Common Core math tests from students in the third through eighth grades, a rally was held in Prospect Park in Brooklyn urging parents and students to say no to the test.

At the event, participants said 3,124 students in New York City alone opted out of the English and Language Arts Common Core exam last week, from 93 schools. The total number is twice as many as last year, participants claimed.

Some parents complain the tests are too grueling and causing anxiety.

The New York State United Teachers union has also called for a boycott over concerns that test scores will be linked to teacher evaluations. The Legislature recently approved a stricter teacher evaluation system in which test scores can account for 50 percent of the performance reviews.

But state education officials warn that opting out will skew data that tracks progress with the Common Core and some districts could lose good standing and federal aid.

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