In the twenty-first century, the use of standardized tests as the primary means to evaluate schools and teachers in the United States has contributed to severe dilemmas, including misleading information on what students know, lower-level instruction, cheating, less collaboration, unfair treatment of teachers, and biased teaching. This article…

Texas takes test security seriously. Joe Lucio, the Texas Ranger of testing, investigates security breaches of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills--a mandatory, high-stakes examination. Students cheat mainly on the test required for graduation. Educators cheat by helping test-takers. Lucio's low-key, persistent investigative style usually…