The situation, some say, is more severe in low-income areas, where schools and principals now often face a greater risk of losing autonomy and funding if their students' academic performance doesn't improve. Darrell Rud, principal of Garfield Elementary School in Billings, Mont., said testing and test preparation at his school last month virtually brought all other student activities to a halt. In Aurora Colo., science teacher Anne Tweed said her marine biology and environmental science classes were interrupted by five days of exams in math and reading. She acknowledges the importance of teaching and assessing basic skills, but wishes the tests didn't cut into class time. According to the Education Commission of the States, all states now require students to take math and reading tests in at least two grades, and 38 states reward or sanction schools and school districts on the basis of student performance.
Sanctions vary widely, from a written warning to a complete takeover of failing schools.
President Bush wants to continue the trend, proposing to take away some federal funds from schools that serve poor children if student performance on standardized tests doesn't improve after three years of extra federal help. Recent polling suggests that Americans think it's money well spent. But the poll said 59 percent don't support punishing unsuccessful schools by taking away federal funds. Danner, a high school guidance counselor in Virginia Beach, Va., said the students in her son's class were eager to talk about careers and what they wanted to do when they grew up. They were also hungry to learn what high school is like and happy to brag about which colleges they planned to attend.