The wrath of high-stakes tests

Testing has become an attractive option for policymakers both because it has the potential to affect the behavior of educators in the educational system and because it is often viewed by the public as a way to guarantee a basic level of quality education. Whatever the reasons, formal testing tied to grade promotion and graduation continues to spread throughout the United States. A qualitative narrative is provided regarding the importance of the preparation of three minority students, Snuffi, Jasmine, and Wanda, for their high-stakes mathematics test. Afterward a critique of high-stakes tests, particularly for minority students as a requirement for high school graduation in public school districts in this country is also provided. Implications are discussed for further research in mathematics education. © 2001 Human Sciences Press, Inc.