Are states gaming the system, misleading voters?

Congress hoped that if it required the states to give annual tests in return for federal education aid, state politicians would be encouraged—or at least embarrassed—into improving dismal schools and closing the achievement gap between rich and poor children. That’s not how things have worked out. Many states have gamed the system—and misled voters—devising weak tests, setting low passing scores or changing tests from year to year to prevent accurate comparisons over time. The charade will continue, and children will continue to be shortchanged, until the country develops a rigorous national test keyed to national standards. Read the editorial in The New York Times.