In the Wall Street Journal today, a couple of items of interest for educators:

The first is a story about the lawsuit filed by the University of Notre Dame (against the Obama administration) concerning the contraception-coverage requirement under the healthcare law. In "Judges Push Back on Notre Dame Challenge," Ben Kesling and Louise Radnofsky write that a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit "expressed skepticism" that the requirement forces the University to violate its religious beliefs. See full article here.

At the Journal op-ed page, James Samuelson, a teacher at Queens Vocational & Technical High School in Sunnyside, Queens, N.Y., responds to those -- and there are many -- who criticize "teaching to the test." According to Samuelson, "Testing is good for the intellectual health of students. It is also an excellent way for teachers to better understand the particular academic challenges their students face." Samuelson describes standardized tests as "a critical thinker's dream" and goes on to outline why. See full article here.