In the readings that we were to do for tomorrows class, I was honestly not surprised with the facts and figures that were given in these chapters. I feel bad saying that it is what I was expecting, but from my own experiences in different years in school it is what I have been exposed to in my situation. One part that really stuck out to me was when the authors were talking about the importance that is placed on standardized testing. I know from being in a house with a teacher, that they are expected to stop teaching their information to focus on what will be on the tests because it is up to those scores that the school is based on. I think that this is a shame to base what students know and what they can do with just a test which some are going to be better at taking than others. I remember back to my junior year in high school when we have to take the ACT one day at school and how much emphasize was placed on doing well and how our futures depended on the scores that we recieved. It was so important that part of the school was closed off just for us to take the test away from everyone else, we had special schedules, and were very watched to make sure that we werent where we shouldnt be and not interacting with those not taking the test. I feel looking back on it that it is ridiculous to have so much pressure and to-do about it when colleges are not even looking at it as much and it is not as big of a deal as it once was. I think that standardized tests should not decided a lot for a student as well as the school because there may be some very smart student who doesnt do well with testing, but could be very bright. I wish that it would be more downplayed so that students dont feel as much pressure and that they have to do well or else.