This question is one of the main questions relating to school, teacher and student accountability. There no question that students are over tested in Georgia. If we counted the tests students are mandated to take beginning in elementary school all the way through high school - tests that include state mandated tests and placement tests such as the SAT, upwards of 20 tests will have been given to the average students in Georgia. One of the challenges is defining school officials. Who are the officials of the school? Teachers, principals, superintendents, instructional coaches, councilors or at higher levels such as at the state level? One of the main ways to fight test fatigue is to prepare students so well and work with their confidence level.

I teacher 6th graders and during one 18 week period our students take 12 country given test, at least 20 common academic test, and preparing for the state standardized test. This causes them to wear out and ask the question "How is this really affecting my grade?" I feel students should be taking end of unit tests for each academic class, and a test at the end of the year over the content they have learned throughout the year. By doing this teachers would have time to properly teach the curriculum and assess it in a way the student's knowledge is being challenged and assessed.

I feel that students are ridiculously over tested and exhausted of it. However, I also feel that this emphasis on testing has been incredible for teachers. I think teachers as a whole (and not just the good ones who have been doing this all along) are now being forced to look at data and remediate or enrich. So, while I hate all the tests I think they have yielded better teaching which by default has created better learners.

I think there should be eight school days per year set aside for state and federal testing. Students in the state of Georgia are over-tested. I think school officials can find a balance by giving each individual district the opportunity to set achievement goals based on the cognitive level of the students in the county that they serve. This gives administrators and teachers the autonomy to decide what it best for the students in that area.