High-stakes standardized testing is harming schools all over the country and needs to be stopped. Education experts at all levels find standardized testing with stiff penalties to be an ineffective way of improving student achievement
Despite changes in education law under President Obama, high-stakes testing remains a cornerstone of "accountability measures" for schools. It diverts valuable teaching time to testing skills, forcing teachers to abandon the higher-order thinking skills students need to succeed in higher education. Worse yet, it has caused states to lower their standards so that their students perform better on the tests.
Please use the resources consumed in testing to pursue different school improvement measures and support, rather than penalize, struggling schools.