Assessments should be diagnostic in nature. They should be used at the start of a concept to gauge prior knowledge. They can also be used as a learning tool when students create their own formative and summative assessments. High-stakes testers shot themselves in the foot by making their results a snapshot and not providing follow-up data about the types of problems missed and related instructional interventions. Ivon Prefontaine PhD makes an excellent point. I wonder WHY schools outsourced their assessments to third-parties. I know comparative data can be useful, but not at the cost of letting assessment construction skills atrophy.