NEAToday Online interviewed Lorrie Shepard, professor of research methodology at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  She is a national authority on standardized tests and other forms of assessment. Last year, she was president of the American Educational Research Association, the leading school research organization.

Her interview points to many of the misconceptions that politicians hold about
testing.  For example, she said, "Politicians believe test scores are a measure
of the quality of education, rather than of resources and the students'
socio-economic characteristics. You see them rewarding the Beverly Hills school
districts, even though, when you mention it, they say, "Oh, yes, we know that
these kids started out ahead."