Students frustrated over a new standardized test are walking out of schools around New Mexico in protest. KRWG News spoke with students at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces who are fed up with the state's focus on standardized testing.
A few hundred students at Albuquerque High School defied warnings from administrators that they would not graduate and could face discipline. They walked out Monday morning, carrying signs and chanting as supporters honked their horns.
The backlash comes as millions of U.S. students start taking new, more rigorous exams aligned with Common Core standards.
In New Mexico, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC tests, started Monday.
PARCC tests have generated controversy across the country, with many parents and students opting out of the exams. Others are lobbying lawmakers and education officials for change.
New Mexico Education Secretary Hanna Skandera has defended the exams.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.