NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's top education official has announced that students will be spending less time taking standardized tests next year.

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen told news outlets over the phone on Monday that TNReady's math and English tests will be shortened. The state has not yet made a decision about the length of the social studies test or whether the tests will be online or on paper.

Launched this school year, TNReady replaced the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.

Educators and parents in Hamilton County have criticized TNReady for months, saying the test robs students of valuable instructional time and is developmentally inappropriate. Delays in the administering of the tests also forced schools in the district to change schedules several times this spring.