High-stakes standardized testing has a long history of exclusion, oppression, power, and control with deep roots in the landscape of American education. In this text, the events and circumstances that have forged the way of high-stakes testing are presented in a straightforward and accessible manner.

This history is essential to understanding our current realities of testing in the United States especially as they relate to marginalization and control of certain populations. Furthermore, a historical perspective provides a lens to consider high-stakes standardized testing critically; to unpack the purposes, benefits, and damages of this practice.