Out here in California, the kids take the STAR test yearly. Next year, that is being phased out in favor of some ill-defined Common Standards Test.
I've been very underwhelmed by our STAR test (and I imagine it will be like this Common Standards). For end of the year second graders, they had a clock and they picked what time it is ("3:00, 2:00, 1:00"). They also would show the back of a quarter and they picked what it was.
I was kind of like, really??? Can we set the bar any lower? My son aced it both years and got "Advanced" on reading and math. I'm happy, although I think I'd be really worried if he didn't!!
