Answers to Questions About Education

Doesn't a focus on reading and math proficiency based on state tests diminish the quality of education by forcing teachers to "teach to the test?"

Teaching "to the test" is different from "teaching the test." In fact, who would want to take a class where the test was unrelated to the material that was taught?  For a more in-depth discussion of whether "teaching to the test" is a bad idea, see Teaching to the Test, an article from the September 1997 issue of the American School Board Journal.