Fear and Loathing in Elementary School: Lessons from a Third Grader About Better Assessments

Abstract

Recent educational accountability efforts have married student assessments with reform mandates and sanctions. As a result, students—beginning in early elementary grades—are feeling the pressures of this new era of high-stakes accountability. This article chronicles a story of the consequences of high-stakes testing on a father and his son.

Key words:

• assessment
• elementary education
• evaluation
• measurement
• political aspects/governmental influence
• testing.