ABSTRACT
Like educators at all public schools in the nation, we are increasingly aware of the emphasis placed on standardized test results at the local, state, and federal levels. While we typically fare well on such state and national assessments at our school, we always struggle to meet or exceed standards in some areas, especially for certain student subgroup populations. Of course, the best way to ensure that schools perform well on annual assessments is not by “teaching to the test,” but by hiring highly qualified teachers with exemplary human relations skills and establishing a climate and culture that allows them the opportunity to make the most of the instructional time allotted to them.
