BACKGROUND: The need for standardized tests like the ACT and SAT has been questi

BACKGROUND: The need for standardized tests like the ACT and SAT has been questioned in recent years. Those that support standardized tests argue they are an objective measure of student achievement, they ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and they prepare students for the rigor of college. On the other hand, opponents to standardized tests argue they are not an objective measure of student achievement, they promote a narrow curriculum, and they undermine a school’s ability to produce innovators and critical thinkers.