There is today a heavy focus on—and a disproportionate weight given to—testing and accountability in standards-based reform. States and the federal government lately have over-emphasized assessments and accountability and de-emphasized (or, in some cases, ignored) both the process of assessing the standards or aligning curriculum and professional development to them. The 2001 No Child Left Behind federal legislation exacerbates this situation. Too many states and districts have paid more attention to developing "gotcha" assessments than improving the quality of teaching and learning. Too many educational systems are driven by assessments rather than by the standards that tests are designed to measure. This approach is backwards. It's unfair to give tests that aren't aligned to the curriculum, or to impose sanctions without interventions, or to use test results strictly for punitive measures rather than as areas for improvement or indicators of progress.

The AFT has long supported both assessment and accountability as integral parts of standards-based reform, but only when tests and accountability systems are fair, transparent and aligned to state standards. Well-designed tests can provide an objective measure of how well students are doing, and consequences attached to these tests provide children with a strong incentive to study hard and do well. Well-designed accountability systems provide a check on this process, as well as an assurance that teachers, staff and students are getting the supports they need to meet expectations. The AFT believes that in a standards-based system, the primary purpose of assessment and accountability is not to sort "winners" from "losers." Rather, it is to ensure that all students have the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed at the next level and to trigger assistance for those who would otherwise fall through the cracks.

The AFT's position on student assessment and testing has been consistent:

• We favor appropriate, high-quality, responsible student testing, which we define as that which supports and enhances the teaching and learning process and is linked to instruction. Thus teachers should be involved at all stages of the test development process.
• Testing is an integral—although not exclusive—part of a standards-based educational system. As such, tests should be based on state standards, tied directly to the curriculum and define appropriate levels of acceptable performance.
• States' testing practices should be monitored to eliminate over-testing; to check that standards are driving what's tested, not the reverse; and to ensure alignment among assessments and other key aspects of a standards-based educational system (such as standards, curricula, professional development).

Characteristics of Strong,
Standards-Based Assessment Systems