Growing up, I'm sure you hated tests as much as I did. I used to get really anxious to the point of tears when I had to take the MAP test, and I had no idea how bad it was going to get.

By high school, I had begun to dread tests weeks before I had to take them. I began to notice the smartest kids in the class were as nervous or even more nervous than I was, and that's when I realized there was something wrong.

They weren't testing us on our knowledge that we had actually retained, they were testing our ability to take a test.

Teachers aren't even supporters of standardized tests. They take time out of learning actually valuable material in class to spend on prepping for testing.

A report from Christina Simpson, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, reveals that this generation is the most tested generation in history, and as a result, the most stressed.

Students, on average, spend up to 16 hours per school year on testing, not to account for study and prep time. In a study done by the APA (American Psychological Association), 83% of students aged 13-17 reported school as a source of stress, especially during testing.

It wasn't until I took the ACT that I realized how unfair these tests are to low-income students. We were offered one free take of the ACT, and if you wanted/needed to take it again, it would cost at least $42.

Then on top of that, the ACT test book (yes, a book that teaches you how to take a test) is about $20. Finally, as an extra measure of preparedness, an average ACT tutor ranges from $30-$50 per hour, and an advanced skills tutor is about $80-$200 per hour.

Just one attempt at this test could be $262, which is not an option for low-income households.

A student who does have financial resources available to them is immediately far more likely to do better on the ACT (or have the option to take it multiple times), get more scholarships, and get into better colleges than someone who can only afford to take the test once, without the extra amenities.

This is not a just way of determining any retention of the curriculum, or college readiness.