PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE: As students prepare to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams this week, a growing number of parents are refusing to let their children take the high-stakes standardized tests aimed at showing which schools are excelling or failing.
In a national groundswell, parents are citing design flaws in standardized tests, increasing anxiety of students and teachers, and unrealistic performance standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The 2001 law requires all public schools receiving federal funding to administer a statewide standardized test annually. By 2014, schools must have 100 percent of students score proficient or better in reading and math to meet the federal benchmark… (more)
