Following the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on Jan. 8, 2002, annual state spending on standardized tests rose from $423 million to almost $1.1 billion in 2008 (a 160% increase compared to a 19.22% increase in inflation over the same period), according to the Pew Center on the States. This increase is unneeded, and it’s not helping children get the essence of school. They should be getting more individualized care, they should be spending the wasted test money on funding for more teachers, and more activities that stimulate children's personal growth. After the NCLB passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading. A May 26, 2011, National Research Council report found no evidence test-based incentive programs are working: "Despite using them for several decades, policymakers and educators do not yet know how to use test-based incentives to consistently generate positive effects on achievement and to improve education” (Standardized Tests).…