That standardized test scores can accurately predict whether a student will attend college, be gainfully employed, and be successful in life have become the bulwark of educational policy in this country. How kids “measure up” on tests are linked not only to teacher performance evaluations, but also to determinations of whether or not a school is considered successful or a failure under No Child Left Behind. But standardized tests don’t tell the whole story about a student. In fact, some researchers now argue that a student’s grades are better predictors of overall success in life than standardized scores. Those seemingly intangible factors which keep a student in school and persevering—resilience, self-control, and grit--may be far more important in the long run than short-term mastery of course content.
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