Displaced Teacher and State Priorities in a High-Stakes Accountability Context

Although previous research suggests that teachers align their instruction to testing demands in the context of high-stakes accountability programs, few studies examine how the policy plays out in the classroom using sustained observations. This research, based on ethnographic case studies of two teachers' classrooms and interviews with 13 teachers at five middle schools, illuminates how high-stakes testing narrows the curricula and displaces teachers' priorities for their students, priorities such as developing personal appreciation for literature and communication and collaboration skills, as well as “writing like a real writer writes.” These findings are noteworthy given that many of the teachers' priorities intersect with state standards.