Some critics say it is too simple.
Arbitrary standards are set that may or may not be pertinent or attainable, tests may not offer accurate pictures of progress, and results will lead inevitably to comparisons of dubious fairness between schools, between teachers and between states. In short, rising test scores are no guarantee of a better education. The approach can only add to the stress on already much-stretched educators, the critics say, while not necessarily helping them do a better job. One Seattle-area principal recently found four of his teachers huddled in the school parking lot, sobbing over the pressure to boost students' test scores. The school was one of the better ones in the area.