Every state gets to choose their tests and to define the achievement levels required. And so states vary widely in their expectations of what students should know.

We were looking for something that was valid and reliable . . . for something that would measure teacher effectiveness that was neutral. This measures student improvement and the value that teachers bring to student improvement.

This is more about a different way of trying to measure progress than trying to favor any group of students or schools.

Those are the things I want to highlight.

I had heard about them [acid tests] and was deeply offended along with everybody else in my sort of Eastern Orthodox Church of LSD, ... We thought it was a very serious sacrament and should not be handed out in bathtubs for people to drink as much as they want.

This area has one of the highest levels of radon in the nation. The tests we've done on homes in this area show three of five have elevated levels.