The change is warranted.
The timing and procedures are not.
Since last year, the test has doubled in length to nearly 12 hours. Parents, teachers and administrators are not happy with the increase.
That led the Indiana State Board of Education to convene a special meeting Friday to consider suspending school accountability standards for the 2014-2015 year. Pence opposes such a suspension of standards.
The administration of ISTEP for 450,000 students in grades 3 through 8 is to begin Feb. 25, leaving precious time to get an OK from the Indiana General Assembly.
ISTEP is intended to measure student academic growth; its results provide grades for schools which can, in some instances, determine teacher pay.
But in recent years, ISTEP has been a test of Hoosiers' patience.
The statewide test has been modified three times since 2009.
Two years ago, several schools reported problems with taking the state's first-ever online test administered by CTB/McGraw Hill.
In a trial run this week, some school district computers froze up. Others found the system skipped questions.
Now politics -- and the ongoing battle between Pence, a Republican, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, a Democrat -- is testing the system.
On Wednesday, Pence announced he and Ritz were working together to shorten ISTEP. He did so while announcing he hired two consultants, at $22,000 a piece, to review how it can be shortened.
Pence has no legal authority to change the test. He has no legal authority to direct how it is to be administered. Some would see his action as pushing the change along; others see it as Pence once again trying to control a state-elected office.
Hoosiers voted Ritz into office and expect her to make changes when warranted.
ISTEP holds students and teachers accountable. It should be shortened from 12 hours. On Friday, an agreement was reached cutting about 2½ hours from the test.
Education should be about quality policy, not about politics.
It's time for Hoosiers to hold their governor and schools superintendent accountable by removing politics from Ritz's role and letting her do her job.