Assistant State Superintendent Mark Moody said. We're very comfortable that we've established standards that are certainly within the abilities of students. But so far, few states have followed Maryland's lead, finding such tests to be too expensive and time-consuming. It was for this reason that Montgomery County officials said they played down its importance for many years. If they choose, county school systems can administer their own standardized tests to monitor individual students' progress, Peiffer said.
Many teachers deny teaching specific information aimed at the tests.
Now, every morning before regular classes start, teachers write two grammatically incorrect sentences on the chalkboard and ask students to rewrite them. A math problem is part of the new morning regimen as well. Now, we're asking them why, and to explain. Now we compare. It prepares them for later grades, and for life skills.