Pros & Cons of Standardized Testing

http://standardizedtests.procon.org/#pro_con

After reading chapter two about assessment and testing I thought it would be interesting to look at the pros and cons of standardized testing. While looking for the pros and cons of standardized testing on the internet I found a website that had a list but it also had a question - "Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?" This is a great question and many people have different opinions of standardized testing, which is why I thought it would be interesting to see some of the pros and cons. Standardized testing has been apart of Americas education since the mid-1800s, however, after No Child Left Behind ACT was mandated in 2002 all 50 states were mandated to test.  Keeping the question from the pros and cons website in mind - "Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?" - Some say that failure in the education system is because of rising property levels, teacher quality,  and tenure policies. Are these the only reasons? The answer is no. There are plenty more reasons that are to blame for the failure in the education system.