In Standardized Testing and Its Victims, an article written for Education Week, Alfie Kohn states: Standardized tests have bloated and mutated, like a creature in one of those old movies from horror, so much so that it now threatens to engulf our schools whole.... Our children are being tested to an extent unprecedented in our history and unprecedented anywhere else in the world. Although previous generations of American students had to take tests, tests have never been administered so frequently, and never have they played such an important role in education. (1) Kohn accurately describes one of the major flaws of the American education system: standardized testing. According to the article No Child Left Behind, legislation passed in 2002 requires schools to annually submit scores to the state for evaluation (1). Originally intended to be used for improvement purposes, the scores on these annual evaluations are overused and have become the sole representation of a school's success. It is nearly impossible to create an advanced future by reforming schools based on an unreliable assessment tool. Standardized tests are an inaccurate measurement of a student's ability because they ignore other forms of aptitude, discriminate against some students, and negatively affect educational methods. Standardized testing puts enormous pressure on all parties involved. A report compiled by Joan L. Herman and Shari Golan titled Effects of Standardized Testing on Teachers and Learning– Another Look explains the main causes of pressure resulting from standardized testing. School districts use scores to evaluate teachers and hold them accountable for scores. Poor performance could jeopardize the teacher's job and potential...... middle of paper ......a.edu/products/reports/Tech334.pdfHicks, Molly G. "The Cons of Standardized Testing ." Standardized tests. np, 2005. Web. April 14, 2012. http://astro.temple.edu/~mhicks/standardizedtestingcon.html“How Standardized Testing Hurts Education.” The fairest. np, August 20, 2007. Web. April 17, 2012. http://www.fairtest.org/facts/howharm.htmKohn, Alfie. "Standardized testing and its victims." Education Week. Publishing Projects in Education, September 27, 2000. Web. April 15, 2012. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2000/09/27/04kohn.h20.html“No Child Left Behind.” Education Week. Publishing Projects in Education, September 19, 2011. Web. April 14, 2012. http://www.fairtest.org/facts/howharm.htm Giovane, Katie. “What's so bad about standardized tests?” Standardized tests. Michigan State University, ndWeb. April 17, 2012. https://www.msu.edu/~youngka7/cons.html