Students are neglected, left behind, and do not receive an adequate education; these are statements we hear every day about our education system. Attempts have been made to reform and review the educational crisis. However, few have been successful. High expectations are placed on students to perform well on standardized tests so that “no child is left behind” and schools are not labeled “failures.” This rigid discipline of teaching to the test only harms the quality of education students receive. Informal assessment must become the primary focus of assessment rather than formal assessment. Formal assessment tends to narrow the teacher's instruction, often causing them to focus primarily on what the test will be. Teaching to the test minimizes the amount of understanding expected of students, focusing more on memorization and hindering the development of higher-order thinking skills, creativity, and critical thinking. While the United States placed an emphasis on standardized testing with No Child Left Behind, Finland took a very different approach. “Finland has not adapted, including curriculum standardization imposed by frequent external testing; narrowing the curriculum to basic reading and math skills; reduced use of innovative teaching strategies” (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p.168). This has allowed teachers to broaden their teaching range so that they are not forced to meet the demands of very rigid state or national standards. Assessment should be “school-based, designed by teachers to assess higher-order thinking and performance skills” (Darling-Hammond, p. 167). Informal evaluation can do just that by dramatically reducing staff... to the middle of the paper... right isn't always the same. Fair means providing adequate opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding. All students enter school with different levels of understanding and backgrounds and this should not interfere with their ability to succeed academically. Works Cited Brown, G.L., Irving, S., Peterson, E.R., & Hirschfeld, G.F. (2009). Using interactive-informal assessment practices: New Zealand secondary students' conceptions of assessment. Learning and Instruction, 19(2), 97-111.Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education: How America's commitment to equity will shape our future. New York: Teachers College Press. Spinelli, C. G. (2008). Addressing cultural and linguistic diversity and assessment: Informal assessment measures for English language learners. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 24(1), 101-118.