The Debate Goes On...

To test or not to test? While not a question posed by Shakespeare, it does appear to be ever-present in today's society of No Child Left Behind. Since the law was enacted in January 2002, the concept of standardized student testing to judge teachers' effectiveness in the classroom has come under the microscope. Both lauded and lambasted, standardized tests at every level have been discussed by everyone from teachers to parents to politicians to economists. In his December 20, Freakonomics column in the New York Times, "What Should Be Done About Standardized Tests? A Freakonomics Quorum," Stephen J. Dubner opens the floor up to five exam experts. On the question of whether there should be more or fewer standardized tests in the school system, the majority of these testing gurus seem to be in agreement. Where do you stand?