Schools have used standardized testing for decades; however, with the passing of the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation the government requires schools to test students annually. NCLB expects all students to score proficient on standardized tests by 2014.
NCLB requires that all public school districts test students in grades 3 through 8 each year in both math and reading. In addition, NCLB requires school districts to test students in grades 10 through 12 at least once prior to graduation. Each state can either choose ready-made assessments from test publishers or design their own assessments. In addition, schools must administer a science assessment once between grades 3 and 5, grades 6 and 9 and grades 10and 12.
Standardized tests assess a student's knowledge of the curriculum. Each state designs its own curriculum, which aligns with national standards such as the reading standards from the National Council of Teachers of Reading (NCTE) and the math standards from the National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM).
All students, even those with disabilities, must take the same standardized tests. Schools must test at least 95 percent of all students. Schools can give an alternate assessment only the most severely disabled students who cannot participate in the general curriculum.
The U.S. government rates schools effectiveness on the basis of standardized tests results. Each year the U.S. Department of Education determines whether schools meet "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) towards reaching 2014 proficiency goals. The government may label schools with poor results as failing and may eventually take over schools that continue to fail year after year.