They are in an academic shooting contest over national rankings for their school systems. Meanwhile, Delaware parents just want to know if their children are learning to read and if they understand mathematical concepts. School testing has turned into big business. It also has turned into a manipulated strategy to make school systems look better than they really are. Teachers and school administrators cringe at the thought of tests determining their job ratings.
Social activists worry whether tests discriminate.
Politicians worry about teachers unions that don't like high-stakes tests. Tests in school are supposed to help teachers figure out how much their students have absorbed. In Delaware, reforms have stipulated that student test results will comprise about 20 percent of an educator's annual performance review. They continue to pout about its implementation. While student test results are a valid element of job performance reviews, they have more important validity.