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When I was in high school, states were just beginning to pass laws about standardized testing. I went to public school in a state that was one of the first states to have standardized testing requirements before a student could graduate. I know firsthand some of the problems associated with placing too much emphasis on standardized testing. My high school English teacher spent a lot of time teaching us the “formula” for the standardized test we had to take, but the only essays I wrote were for that exam. Then, when I went to college, I found I was quite unprepared. I was an “A” student in high school, but I was earning “Cs” on my essays in college. I remember the shame I felt about getting “bad” grades. Fortunately, I was able to get extra help from the university writing center, and I was able to turn things around for myself. But we should not have students entering college with so little and such limited writing experience. I have read so much research indicating that my experiences are not unique. Too many students are coming to college without very much experience in writing, and standardized tests are a part of the problem.