Standardized Tests and Report Cards!

Standardized tests are a way for the state to assess what students should have learned. However, in my opinion too much emphasis is placed on these tests! I feel like teachers can't teach the way they want to teach because to prepare students for these standardized tests its like they are "teaching to the test." How students do on these tests are a reflection of how a teacher teaches and how effectively the school is ran, but does the state take into account that some students aren't good test takers and how the stress of a standardized test can make a student not perform to his/her potential? I think standardized tests are for convenience more then they are an effective assessment.

Report cards... Some students can't wait to get em.. and some dread them! I don't think report cards should come as a surprise to parents or students. If a student isn't doing well their parents should know way before the report comes out, as should the student. Thats my one problem with report cards! Report cards should reflect how well a student is doing in that particular subject, and if a student isn't doing well they shouldn't be expecting an A on their report cards, neither should their parents. Teachers needs to communicate with the parents ahead of time so that the student can work to improve their grade before its put on a report card. This requires some flexability but a teacher should always be willing to help their students succeed!