As previously mentioned, many critics of standards-based education suggest that the emphasis on the test leads to so much test preparation that many important aspects of education are either ignored or relegated to very low priority. In some states, all of the assessments are multiple choice. Depending on the state, assessments may totally ignore public speaking and cooperative skills. They almost always ignore the arts, a component that many educators contend is important not only for developing cognitive skills, but for general education. Advocates of standards-based education say that they are for it so that no child gets left behind, to borrow a phrase from George W. Bush.
Critics contend, however, that large numbers of students get left behind.
Some children are late bloomers and learn just fine, but a little later. Others will always have difficulty mastering certain concepts. Schools used to provide more differentiated curriculum and vocational education for those students. In my district, for example, we used to have leveled high school classes in key subjects such as English and social science. Students would be grouped according to their academic levels.