A 2026 study looked at 67 groups of public schools across 38 U.S. states. It counted tests before high school. The middle number was 57, and some students took as many as 88. The study found no link between more tests and better English or math skills. More tests also did not mean more progress in these subjects.
U.S. public schools must give reading and math tests every year from third through eighth grade. They must also give them at least once in high school. Test scores can affect how states judge schools. Schools also changed their lessons to focus more on test subjects. From 2001 to 2007, 44% of school districts cut time for other subjects or activities, including art.
Getting ready for tests takes time, too. In a 2016 survey, 62% of public school teachers said they spent too much time on this work. On average, teachers reported spending 14 days out of a 180-day school year helping students get ready. Research also found that unhappiness with testing was an important reason teachers left teaching. A 2026 study found lower job happiness among teachers who worried about problems at work because of students’ test scores.
