- “No Child Left Behind requires tests in math and reading at the end of the school year in grades 3 and 8 and once in high school. The Common Core will test more subjects and in more grade levels, and additional tests given during the school year. There may also be pretests in the fall.” ~ Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus, University of Southern California
- “The increasing emphasis on testing in U.S. schools is a consequence of perhaps the most profound change in American education in modern times–the shift in focus from teaching to learning. When education systems concentrate on teaching, the emphasis is on the process of instruction, measured in the length of time students are exposed to teaching. (Think, for instance, of the 180-day school year.) Time is the constant; all students are expected to learn the same amount of information in the same period of time. In contrast, when the focus is on learning, the emphasis shifts to how much the student has mastered rather than how long the student has been taught. There is a shift in concern with the process of education to the outcomes of education, from coverage of the subject to learning the subject matter. Time becomes variable; learning is the constant.” ~ Arthur Levine, L.A. Times
- “A typical school day finds some 6 million high school students and 2 million college freshman struggling with algebra. In both high school and college, all too many students are expected to fail. Why do we subject American students to this ordeal? I’ve found myself moving toward the strong view that we shouldn’t.” ~ Andrew Hacker, political science professor, Queens College
- “One more transcript with three more AP courses looks like a thousand other transcripts. A transcript with good standardized test scores and interesting courses like American Studies or Science Writing from a good school, with good results by a good student helps that student stand out more in the competitive admissions process.” ~ Robert Vitalo, Head of School at Berkeley Carroll
- “Great teachers tend to push for higher standards. They speak up when they see something that is holding students back. Many principals are irritated by that. They prefer teachers who do not complain, even if they are not so hot in the classroom.” ~ Jay Mathews, Washington Post
