Results from these standardized assessments were used to identify schools that were failing to make progress toward proficiency on academic standards and were tied to consequences that affected the way schools were governed and required
to spend funding.18 The consequences attached to standardized assessments increased the influence assessments had on
instruction in classrooms, making it increasingly important for standardized assessments to be high quality and aligned to
states’ academic standards. Even so, research has consistently questioned the quality of assessments implemented over the
past decade and the impact they have had on instruction. The following section will outline primary concerns surrounding the
state of standardized assessments implemented since 2002 and the impact these assessments had on instruction.
The State of Standardized Assessments
Standardized assessments were a foundational component of NCLB and continue to shape standards-based reform policies
today. This is true in all states, including Tennessee, where data from standardized assessm