The dark side of student motivations toward standardized tests

When the scores were revealed, the classroom of middle school literacy teachers was everything but hopeful. “Did they even try?” one teacher wondered about her students. The team was disappointed and defeated. After a year of following the curriculum to fidelity, according to the mock-state test data, our efforts meant nothing.

Source: Intrinsic Motivation vs. Standardized Tests | Edutopia

Standardized tests are an unfortunate part of student life. By looking at student motivations, it could be possible to relieve some of the stress students feel, and make the experience slightly less painful.