Literary reading, standardized tests

Clair Needell Hollander, New York City teacher, on literary reading and standardized tests:

We cannot enrich the minds of our students by testing them on texts that purposely ignore their hearts. By doing so, we are withholding from our neediest students any reason to read at all. We are teaching them that words do not dazzle but confound. We may succeed in raising test scores by relying on these methods, but we will fail to teach them that reading can be transformative and that it belongs to them.

Teach the Books, Touch the Heart (New York Times)