Final answer:
An achievement test is a formal measure of a student's ability to acquire skills or gain knowledge, highly standardized to ensure consistent administration, scoring, and interpretation. These tests have been a significant focus in education systems due to their role in federal funding and assessment of school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Step-by-step explanation:
A formal measure of standardized or norm-referenced tests that evaluate a student's ability to acquire skills or gain knowledge is often referred to as an achievement test. These tests are designed to assess students' proficiency or mastery in specific areas. A prominent aspect of achievement tests is standardization, which ensures that the method of administration, scoring, and interpretation of results is consistent across various test takers.
The No Child Left Behind Act has contributed to the practice known as "teaching to the test," where the curriculum is adjusted primarily to prepare students for standardized testing, sometimes at the expense of a well-rounded education. This legislative push towards standardized testing means that results have high stakes for schools, including access to federal funding and assessment of school performance. The issue with standardized testing is the varying degrees of proficiency standards between states, which can affect the reliability and fairness of educational assessments on a national level.