Ms. Cornelius of A Shrewdness of Apes puts springtime testing mayhem into perspective:
But you know, really every day is "THE TEST," and there are things for which we cannot plan ... An education is a work in progress, and it does not end by spring testing or by graduation or even by dropping out. The lessons we impart and the information we give may not come to fruition in a students' life on our timetable. It may not seem to make a difference in time for the state test. But it may make a difference eventually.
Such a philosophy can’t magically make the Scantron sheets and No. 2 pencils disappear, but it could go a long way in preserving teachers’ sanity...