# Students take up to 88 tests before high school

> More standardized tests don't improve student learning, research shows.
- Title: Students take up to 88 tests before high school | Shortify
- Summary: More standardized tests don't improve student learning, research shows. Students take up to 88 standardized tests before high school, but more testing…
- Keywords: students, standardized tests, high school, learning, k-12 schools, no child left behind, every student succeeds act, school districts, science, ideas, take, tests
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/students-take-up-to-88-standardized-tests-before-high-school-but-more-testing-doesnt-improve-learning-294123
- Author: Liza Bondurant
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: students, standardized tests, high school, learning, k-12 schools, no child left behind, every student succeeds act, school districts, science, ideas
## Standardized testing in US schools
The public K-12 school system in the United States has become pervasively shaped by standardized testing.
## No Child Left Behind law
I began teaching mathematics in 2005, four years after the federal law No Child Left Behind was enacted.
## Curriculum changes
Most districts changed their curricula to focus more on the content and skills covered on state tests.
## Time spent on tests
Teachers estimated spending an average of 14 out of 180 school days preparing students for these exams.
## Test numbers
A 2026 study of 67 school districts across 38 states found that, before high school, students take a median of 57 state- and district-required assessments.
## Teacher concerns
In a 2016 survey of K-12 public school teachers, 62% reported spending too much time preparing students for state-mandated tests.
## Farmer's quote
You don’t get a pig to grow by measuring it more.

> You don’t get a pig to grow by measuring it more.
## Key takeaway

Students take up to 88 standardized tests before high school, but more testing doesn't improve learning.