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Personally I like the tests. Why do you dislike them?

The way I see it, it puts competition into the system. To be honest, I'd like to see private schools adopt a voluntary testing system this way I can choose to send my children to the school of my choose based on ALL the information available. If I think my son has a hankering for science, then I'd probably send him to the school that did very well on science. If he was good at arts and literature, I'd probably send him to a school that was at the top in that area. Without a standard test I can't tell which school is doing well. All I get is the fluff and BS marketing materials they put out. But after you send your child to a school it's too late to determine if that was the right school.

As people always say, the children are our most precious resource...yadda yadda yadda...well, if so I say test those that teach them so I as a parent can make an informed decision.

so I as a parent can make an informed decision....

I think you hit on one reason the Dem gov candidates in this FL gov race are so low in the polls, even though voters are not yet convinced FL has achieved every goal in education.

Gov. Bush has put so much information online for parents about the schools. Never before has there been this kind of info for parents to study. And, I think most parents are not eager to see this info vanish -- which is what it seems like may happen if a Dem is elected governor, since they are always saying they are against everything Gov. Bush has done. Well, some people LIKE some of the things Gov. Bush has done, and providing the test scores online, etc., is one of the things he did.

As for private schools - it is truly a different ball game with respect to the kind of info available. That doesn't mean it is necessarily worse, but, it is different. And, for that reason, many private schools remain very choosey about who they allow in -- they would love to brag about your kid if he goes to some great university, but, they know there is may not be much to brag about to future potential customers if the student is currently doing drugs and has a criminal record. That kid is usually not allowed in, as such a student could ruin the reputation of the school. And, that costs money to repair.

I think that it is possible to tell how the private schools are doing, and what are their strengths and weaknesses, by looking at their curriculum, their faculty, and the outcomes with their students. Take a walk through the school, have your child spend a day in classes, ask what students did after graduation. And, ask the students who are there...they know better than anyone else what is going on.

As far as your children are concerned, there probably exists some diagnostic testing in each subject already on their records. But, I do agree with you, that with private schools you do have to shop around...what's good for one student might be just awful for another!