Time To Get Rid Of Proficiency Exams?

From the LVRJ: Over the protests of Republicans, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill Friday to allow high school seniors to secure full-fledged diplomas even if they fall a couple of points short of the standards on one section of the proficiency exam.
Under Assembly Bill 456, students who earn at least a 2.75 GPA and have had no discipline or attendance problems could receive standard diplomas if their overall score on the four-part proficiency exam was above the passing score, even though their scores fall short in one part of the test.
Students still would be required to try at least six times to earn passing scores on all sections of the test.
About 60 percent of students fail the math test the first time they take it. Joyce Haldeman, associate superintendent of the Clark County School District, said the bill would help about 100 students a year who invariably fail the math portion of the test, even though they pass other sections and do well in the classroom.
The bill, which would go into effect July 1, passed 5-2.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/committee-approves-plan-to-reform-diploma-requirements-121818399.html
This is a good start, but they need to get rid of the proficiency exams for good. The people who like the proficiency exams says it will cheapen a diploma. However, that is BS. Nowadays, teachers, schools and school districts are teaching to the test and very little else. Is this good education policy? Doubtful.
Further, the main testing dates in the late Fall shut down education for a week. Some kids don't have to come to school or if their teacher is proctoring an exam, their class turns into fun time in the cafeteria. How is this helping education?
Further, it cost millions and millions of dollars to create, publish, distribute, give, collect, grade and analyze the results of the exams. Don't you think the money good be better spent? All this is giving test makers, bureaucrats and teachers a cushy job and make a good living at it, all at the expense of the children.
Further, I am surprised this has not come up, but a good lawyer could sue the State and school districts and say the tests are discriminatory. In Nevada, we have a very large Hispanic population and many of the high school students of Hispanic heritage can't pass the tests because they write and read poorly in English, even though they might be extremely intelligent. Isn't that discrimination? I've seen much weaker discrimination cases be successful.
Hopefully some people up in Carson City can get the courage and convince other state legislators that the proficiency exams are a waste of time, waste of money and they really don't prove anything other than the teachers taught to the test.
Time to get rid of the exams.