(AP) - New Jersey's education officials say schools where many students skip a new standardized test could face funding cuts from the federal government.

Education Commissioner David Hespe addressed a state Senate committee Thursday as hundreds of thousands of students across the state take the new PARCC exams.

He says that's part of federal law.

Some parents are having their children skip the exams, which are designed to measure how students perform on new nationwide curriculum standards. They object to the test because of concerns about over-testing, how the results might be used, privacy and whether the exam is appropriate.

Hespe says parents and educators will have "aha" moments and come to appreciate the test once they see the detailed results.