Those of us who oppose SATs will be asked/told, "So, you don't think children should be tested until they're 18 or 21 when it's too late?"
I suggest we can reply by saying:
"It's possible to have a testing system that
a) is directly intended to help the child on his or her next step
b) is administered by teachers and
c) moderated with the use of sampling.
None of this is high stakes, (which applies the pressure on children) or confined to right/wrong answers which narrow the curriculum."
