Refocusing Educational Assessments on Teaching and Learning, Not Politics

Abstract

The 2007 reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States has provided additional incentive to sustain attention on this law. Based on a review of the literature, this article highlights some objectives of the act and identifies shortcomings associated with the type of assessments the act endorses. Because these assessments have the power to educationally and politically influence the futures of individuals and schools, a focus on optimizing their benefits is important.