There can be a role for standardized tests, but at present their importance has become way overblown. Ranking teachers and schools, then publicizing it, according to how students score on a single test is ludicrous. Administrators are under the gun to raise test scores and so pressure teachers to teach to the test. Students become bored and teachers are frustrated they can’t work to truly educate. Learning has been narrowly defined by sets of standards and their benchmarks. Those in the trenches know education is messy, with bursts of inspired learning and times when learning comes slow. Good educators are constantly monitoring student progress and changing strategies. Forcing teachers to follow a learning guideline in lockstep leads to frustration for all. Unfortunately, those who pass the laws in education are not in classrooms and/or are driven by political agendas not tied to what is best for students.
