The �No Child Left Behind� (NCLB) law requires a percentage of students to pass the state standardized test. Each year, that required percentage increases until ultimately, in 2013, all schools must be at 100%. Thus, if one child scores poorly on this one test, the school does not reach 100% and is officially deemed a failing school. The message of NCLB is simple: teach to the test. President Bush has even stated, ��you teach a child on basic math and reading skills, and you�re teaching to the test�� However, is teaching to the test the best way for students to learn?

The Association of Childhood Education International would disagree. Back in 1976 they called for a moratorium on all standardized testing and have been questioning the validity and benefit of standardized testing ever since. Vito Perrone, a main educator in the group, concluded, ��teachers gain little new important knowledge from such tests�� and �the practice of testing every child in the later elementary years should cease.� Researchers Davey and Neill concluded, �All national testing proposals are based on the fallacy that measurement by itself will induce positive change in education.� In addition, they state, �proponents [of national testing] claim that other nations, whose students score higher on some international exams, have national testing programs. In fact, no significant economic competitor of the U.S. has a single national exam��

Are they right? Do other nations have a national standardized testing program which demonstrates 100% success? Mary Shafer produced a study examining the testing policies of France, Germany, England and Japan. In France, only 50% of students take the �Lycee,� a senior high school test that allows students to apply to college. Only 38% pass the test. In Germany, the �Abitur� is passed by 25% of high school students. In England 22% pass their high school completion test and in Japan, only 25% even attempt their national test. Davey and Lynn state, �none of them [other countries] uses tests for accountability purposes. If these nations do out-perform the U.S., a point open to debate, it is not because of national tests.�

It appears that NCLB and its belief that standardized tests 100% guaranteed success and labeling schools failing is faulty and not found throughout the world. What can be used to assess students? Criterion-referenced tests, contract grading and other year-long teacher assessments should drive curriculum and instruction and not the one-time, live or die, standardized testing demanded of students.

I applaud the Cheshire school system, and others, who have just said �no� to the illogic premise and waste of educational resources standardized tests require as reported in The New York Times [December 21, 2003, section 14]. Hopefully, other school systems will not be slaves to the purse strings which accompany �No Child Left Behind,� and parents will investigate the law to see if the thousands of dollars and classroom hours really benefit their child. There is a choice. School systems do not have to be slaves to the test. Like Cheshire, they can choose to leave �No Child Left Behind,� behind.