The author of the Speaking Out article in the January/February issue of Principal feels conflicted about high-stakes testing because although NCLB requires it and principals are expected to use the resulting data to inform their decision-making, the process adds undue stress to students and the data from a single achievement test are not representative of a student’s abilities. “While we know these assessments are increasing anxiety and stress,” the author writes, “states continue to promote the test as unavoidable, and administrators capit­ulate by pressing teachers to prepare their students and by encouraging test performance as early as elementary school.”

What’s your take on the issue? How have high-stakes tests affected your students’ stress levels? Have the tests accurately represented their learning?