I, for one, would like to hear more about the test. What kinds of questions are asked? Does the test assess language arts by having children speak, listen, write, and read? Or is it possible that the test focuses on limited comprehension and grammar questions and prompts? The article provides no sample or representative questions so that we can at least see the types of questions, prompts, or tasks the students perform on the test. Testing taking is in itself a skill, but I hope the state does not turn the curriculum into one big test prep because test taking has limited transferability. My own children happen to be very good test takers, but that's not what will get them through in life. Other children may be poor test takers while being capable of a great deal. 

I hope the readers here will put on their critical thinking caps and ask a few more questions before slamming everyone involved in education just to confirm their preexisting ideas about public education.