National standardized tests compare students not only to their peers, but also measure a student's progress over time. This can give both students and teachers an objective measure of progress that isn't tainted by the subjectivity of grades or student behavior. Students who attend classes with teachers who consistently improve test scores are more likely, for example, to attend college. The fact that a teacher is compared to other teachers via standardized tests can give her a strong incentive to improve student performance, possibly improving student outcomes.
Both students and teachers may feel overwhelmed by the pressure to perform well on tests. Students can develop test anxiety and underperform, or they may view standardized test scores as the sole measure of their academic worth. A 2013 study published in "Psychology in the Schools," for example, found increased anxiety in elementary school students who had to take high-stakes standardized tests. Teachers can feel pressure to focus on test scores rather than more generalized academic achievement, and some teachers have responded by boycotting or protesting standardized tests; teachers in both Washington and Chicago have refused to administer standardized tests.
The stress to perform well on standardized tests can also affect teacher behavior. The "New York Daily News" reported in 2013 that there had been at least 100 instances of teachers cheating on standardized tests since 2006, often by giving students answers. In Atlanta, dozens of educators have been implicated in a cheating scheme in which teachers changed students' answers on standardized tests.
When standardized tests are frequent and when funding and other educational opportunities depend on them, teachers may end up "teaching to the test." A positive benefit of this approach may be that it evens the educational playing field, ensuring that students in a wide variety of schools and from a wide variety of backgrounds are taught similar information. Teaching to the test can also pose some problems. Rather than focusing on soft skills or teaching students information that won't be on tests -- such as critical thinking skills -- teachers may center their lessons around test material, perhaps even spending class time taking practice standardized tests. While this practice can help students become more comfortable with test material, it also means they may miss out on other academic material.
Standardized test scores can affect school funding. Schools that don't meet adequate yearly progress benchmarks under No Child Left Behind can lose federal funding. This may mean children have to change schools, which can be stressful, but it can also mean children get access to better schools. When a school's test scores are found to be inadequate, schools may be placed on improvement plans, which can alter the routine of both students and teachers. Teachers are also financially incentivized under No Child Left Behind, and states can choose to use federal funds to pay teachers' bonuses when their students excel on standardized tests.