Much of the current crisis in education in the United States is the result of policies enacted to improve schools - standards and accountability (Kohn, 1999). The problem is that the emphasis on testing is squeezing education out of the curriculum. Students are basically being prepared for tests, not educated. The high concentration of effort directed towards improving tests scores means less time devoted to helping students develop creative and critical thinking. American schools are devoted more to memorizing and practicing rules and skills than to helping students understand what they are doing. Creating a learning experience that arouses and sustains children's curiosity, enriching their capacities and responding to their questions in ways that are deeply engaging should be the goal, says Kohn. He believes that this type of education would benefit students because they would be able to reason answers to test questions rather than just answer them by rote learning.
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a test used to compare a student's performance against a national norm (Carter, 2000). It is used by the Atlanta Public School system test system for third, fifth and 8th grades as mandated by the Department of Education. According to Governor Roy Barnes' education reform bill, elementary and middle-school students will also be tested on a measurement known as a criterion-referenced competency test (CRCT) for language arts, math and reading. Science and social studies will be added above third grade (Cumming, 2000). High school students will take a state test when they complete classes in core subjects such as languages, arts and mathematics. These subject-matter tests will eventually phase out the Georgia High School Graduation Test. The governor wants to establish an Office of School Accountability to set pass-fail scores, then set up the formulas for rewards and consequences. Schools will be judged on the perfor...