Standardized and High Stakes Testing

"Public outcry has been heard throughout the country in recent years, as an increasing number of states introduce tough new standards and tests for students and schools" (Olson 10). Students and parents in Arizona regularly show their opposition to the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test by picketing the Department of Education building in downtown Phoenix. The secrecy surrounding the test prompted The Arizona Republic to sue the state to make the test public. A recent court decision sided with the newspaper citing that the public's right to know outweighs the cost incurred by the state to make new tests each year. The case is currently under appeal. These tougher assessment and accountability systems are having an impact on the schools and on the people in and around them. While standards based assessments are necessary to promote change in public schools, they should not be the only indicators of student or school success.…