Rep. Steve Israel holds rally at Commack Middle School for passage of Test Act

Rep. Steve Israel held a rally in Commack Sunday to call for a decrease in the number of tests students must take each year.

At the rally, held at Commack Middle School, Israel pushed for passage of the Test Act, which would allow states to choose an alternative testing schedule for students.

Israel says that, under his bill, the number of tests will be cut in half. Students would be tested in English in third grade, mathematics in fourth grade and English again in fifth grade. This would result in just one test per year, not two.

Parents and teachers say that students lose too much valuable classroom time by preparing for state tests.

Another group rallied outside of the school today with a different message. Members of Long Islanders United Against the Common Core said Israel's bill doesn't go far enough.