In the United States, standardized tests are used to measure how knowledgeable or uninformed a person is about a particular topic. Standardized tests are exams designed to measure a student's academic performance. These tests are a controversial issue, because some people believe that the tests do not demonstrate students' intelligence. I am one of these people. What the test may cover may not be what students learned in class. However, some critics believe that “standardized testing gives administrators, teachers, and parents the opportunity to see concrete evidence of student performance, which in turn could lead to changes in the curriculum” (Banta, p.1). Standardized tests also create unnecessary stress for students. These tests require students to study or cram for many hours and put them in a demanding social environment where they are forced to answer difficult questions. Standardized tests were once a good idea, to test students' abilities and see how they compare to other districts, but teachers teach using different methods and focus on different issues. What they think is important may not be what other teachers think is important or what the state thinks is important. So, as a student you learn more about what the teacher thinks is important, but you are graded based on what the state thinks is important. Standardized tests are not a reliable way to assess someone's intelligence. This brings us back to what students were taught in class and how it was assimilated. Curriculum is said to be influenced by standardized testing. Some critics say, “Teachers will teach what will be covered on the test and unfortunately information not covered on the test is not taught” (Banta, p.2). I know that if you st... half the paper... a bigger challenge than can be tested in a multiple choice format. Critics of the No Child Left Behind Act say there is enormous pressure on school officials, teachers, students and parents. This pressure to succeed creates an inadequate environment for learning, an environment of fear, rather than discovery. Such tests reward quick answers to superficial questions. They do not measure the ability to think deeply or creatively in any field. Their use encourages a narrow curriculum, outdated teaching methods, and harmful practices such as failing and tracking. “Standardized testing can be mistakenly used as fuel for those with political agendas. This is a sad reality too often at all levels of the political sphere. Education is a hot political issue, and rightly so, but the center of this debate is often standardized test scores. “(Meador)