Standardized tests really prove NOTHING. In Texas you have to pass TAKS in each grade and when you get to your junior year of high school you have to pass Exit Level TAKS if you don't then you take it your senior year. Once you fail again then you don't graduate. Year it's a test to test where you are as a student but think about the student that get nervous when they see a huge test. Another big thing they don't split them up. They give the test day after day for a whole week. Some kids minds don't work like that. Exactly why some school scores are low. We take end of semester exams shouldn't that be enough for us to graduate if you pass those instead of TAKS. 1 More thesis in my class i have had multiple straight "A" & "B" students that have failed these test just because of the pressure of them saying "If you don't pass these tests your graduation will be delayed." Just saying stop with these test.