Test Nation

Remember when we used to tsk-tsk the Japanese because they relied so much on tests and put such pressure on their children?

Tsk-tsk ourselves.

The Washington Post is publishing a series of articles on "the nature of testing and its effects." Here's the lead into the first article:

Pop quizzes, spelling bees and the three letters that strike dread into high school students across the country -- SAT. We have become a Test Nation, and the results can determine the course of a student's life. Some are beginning to question: Is it all too much? Has our obsession with testing pushed students too hard? Just what do tests really tell us? Over the next few months, The Washington Post will examine the nature of testing and its effects. First in a series: The Rise of the Testing Culture.

Definitely worth a read. [Free registration may be required.]