Standardized Tests Cause StressStandardized tests are something that all students and teachers dread. The weeks leading up to the tests are filled with teachers stressing scholarship and their work, both of which depend on student success; students worry about being able to pass the test to advance to the next level, giving the state a bad impression of their teachers, and whether their scores on those tests will affect their chances of going to college. That’s what state standardized testing does for instructors and students across the country. Researchers at Bowling Green State University in Ohio found that two out of three elementary school students surveyed said proficiency tests caused excessive stress, and three out of four high school students shared this belief. (Edwards)Standardized testing should not be such a big part of students' lives. Students have enough to worry about, with most of their parents going through divorce and learning to juggle extracurricular activities, homework, and work, while still having time to socialize with their peers (an important part of development) . Students who are susceptible to or already suffering from mental disorders should also be taken into account, as they should not be under such intense pressure. Testing is overrated, and as such, it provides the appropriate framework for young people to begin the dangerous cycle of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. There should be school nurses and guidance counselors who know how to properly handle stressed students during this time so that this cycle can be stopped. They are in the best time of their lives and feel the worst because of the tests imposed by the state even if these tests are used more to evaluate the teacher...... middle of copy.... ...Students are stressed by the possibility of their entire future being decided by these tests and by the possibility of their teachers losing their jobs; teachers are stressed about the potential loss of their careers; program leaders or fine arts professors are stressed by the loss of funding for programs that can help students; and college-bound students worry that they might not be accepted into ninety percent of four-year colleges. Overall, these tests are overrated and seen as a deciding factor in every aspect of a student's life when they shouldn't be. Nor should proficiency exam results determine which schools have funding and which receive less. Although these exams should not be eliminated completely, they should not be as important as the system allows. *Children is used to define anyone in kindergarten.-12.