An ideal test should cover the benchmarks already in the curriculum. The curriculum should not be designed for the test. Teachers shouldn't have to teach to the test, the test sould be designed to test what should have been taught. A student should be able to pass any test that is designed to test the benchmarks. Current tests do not do this. Benchmarks are what the student should have mastered in that grade. Benchmarks, for example, would be "identify pronouns" and "identify proper nouns". Pronouns are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence [[with the exception of "I"). Proper nouns are always capitalized.

You can find the benchmarks for each grade by going to www.michigan.gov/mde, look under Curriculum and Instruction, then go to Grade Level Content Expectations [[for lower grades) and Michigan Content Expectations [[for upper grades). They break them down by subject. Keep in mind that special needs students must also learn ALL of the benchmarks and have the same curriculum as the general education population.

I really think teach and drill works for most things. They should really bring that back. Much of what "worked for us" should be brought back [[such as phonics). My stance is, if it ain't broke don't fix it. What education is doing now isn't working, perhaps they need to go back in time and look at what worked.