But such sentiments are being crushed in the stampede to test. Twenty-seven states have now established mandatory testing programs, many with stakes as high as in Massachusetts. Kids believe, to a certain extent correctly, that their education and career opportunities will be determined by how they fill in the bubbles and write those three-paragraph essays. And test- prep companies and educational publishers know an opportunity when they see it. They find a place where there's a new test, and then they offer their services.
Many educators decry the new testing craze, arguing that it distracts schools from real learning.
Teachers and administrators, meanwhile, often feel that the success of their careers and the fate of their schools depend on test scores. In some states, the pressure on educators is explicit. The response to these pressures can be unhealthy for everyone involved. There also seems to be outright cheating. So it's no surprise that the market for coaching materials is booming.