The push for more testing is linked with the public outcry for more accountability in the schools. Businesses must demonstrate progress and many feel schools should also. As the American workplace demands smarter workers in the future, the schools are being asked to better prepare students. Just as a doctor uses a test to diagnose a medical condi- tion, schools can use tests to pinpoint problems. And when a child's strengths and weak- nesses are revealed in a test, teachers and schools can make the necessary changes to be more effective.
Tests can be a critical tool to track the progress of student, curriculum, and school.
Absent the test, you have no instrument of accountability. This year, Colorado began standards-based testing every year in 3rd grade through 10th. The centerpiece of that is testing. There is concern among teachers about standardized testing, yet support for the results of such tests is strong. Assessment advocates argue that there is nothing wrong with teaching to the test, so long as material being taught is necessary and sound.