TESTING
The current in infatuation with standardized testing as the measure of educational success is counterproductive according to a new study from my alma mater, Arizona State University. The NY Times reports that with the institution of standardized testing comes a drop in the number of graduates and a decline in SAT and ACT scores.

The way I figure it, students and teachers have to spend so much time honing their test-taking skills that no one has time left over to learn anything. "'Teachers are focusing so intently on the high-stakes tests that they are neglecting other things that are ultimately more important,'" said Audrey Amrein, the study's lead author, who says she supported high-stakes tests before conducting her research. "'In theory, high-stakes tests should work, because they advance the notions of high standards and accountability. But students are being trained so narrowly because of it, they are having a hard time branching out and understanding general problem-solving.'"