Standardized Tests and Student Grades

New Jersey has decided standardized tests should be worth 35% of a teacher's evaluation.  However, the same test has no value towards a student's grade.

Counting standardized tests as 35% of a student's final grade would provide some interesting scenarios:

• grade inflation may be spotlighted
• maybe more schools could move to a standards based report card
• more parents may opt their students out of state assessments
• perhaps the money spent on testing could improve other aspects of education

Grades shouldn't be the focus of education.  GPA doesn't always translate well...