The testing trend sweeping the nation has its roots in real problems in schools. Children are not succeeding, sometimes due to low expectations on the part of teachers. Certainly, schools need to be accountable. However, the extreme emphasis presently being put on measuring success only in terms of academic outcomes is alarming to many educators.
Tests measure ever smaller, more incomprehensible bits of knowledge out of context.
In college I had a friend whose major was in a different field from my own. She was consistently making C 's on tests in one course. The teacher advised her that she needed to consult published research. She spent hours in the library searching for the needed research to no avail. Due to her lack of self-confidence she continued to make C 's rather than get the help she needed.