Still, some parents see the benefit of testing as a way of keeping track of what their children are learning in school. "I see the tests as a fairly accurate snapshot of what my daughters are learning," says Beth Matustik of North Hollywood, California. "What troubles me is how political testing has become. It seems it's the only criteria for judging a school these days. Everybody cares so deeply about the scores that we're forgetting it's only one aspect of a good school."

Improving Education Without Losing the Joy of Learning

Although many teachers and educators give high-stakes testing an "F," opinions on how to improve the system vary widely. One thought is universal—give schools more latitude in finding solutions to their particular problems. "If I'm a principal from an impoverished neighborhood, my students are going to have different needs than those from Beverly Hills. As a principal, I need to be given the budget and leeway to be creative," explains Hagen. "My first need may be to make sure my students are fed."

Marasco suggests schools focus on teacher training. "Value teachers, support them," she says. "Pay them decent salaries so that as soon as they acquire some expertise, they're not forced to leave teaching to find better-paying jobs because they can't support their families." If not, she fears, teaching as a profession will continue to decline. "Teachers have been so de-professionalized in this country," she says. "They've always been under-appreciated."

As the debate on high-stakes testing continues, one positive result has surfaced—education has once again taken center stage in the public arena. But, many educators wonder, at what cost?

"If it's all about testing, we're dismissing the joy of learning," Hagen says. "We need to get back to the concept that learning is a glorious thing, and education is a lifelong endeavor."