Let the testing games begin

I have a new definition for "March Madness" and it has nothing to do with playing a sport.This March, we have the following on our docket: MELA-O (ELL assessment), MEPA (ELL written assessment), District Math Benchmark, MCAS Reading, and report cards. And of course there are always assessments for RTI/TAT tracking and reading progress conferences/running records.My poor ELLs -- they are going to have to endure two rounds of high-stress standardized testing as devised by the state over the next two weeks. I really question the wisdom of testing kids on a whole year of learning in March -- for goodness sake it is only 7 months (6 1/2 really) into the school year. I guess those other two months count for nothing? And let's not mention that all of the procedures and disrupted teaching time to administer a test will take -- 4 days out of the month of March alone.I do believe that data helps us to drive instruction, to move our students forward. But for goodness sake do we need to gather it all in one month?