Standardized testing can offer useful information, but over-standardization can flatten student context, teacher judgment, and dignity. A rights-informed look at what schools often miss.

A child rarely comes home from school with the whole story neatly organized. More often, they come home with the part that hurt. They know they got in trouble, they know they felt embarrassed, they know an adult made a decision, and they know something about it felt unfair. What they may not know is how to explain what happened before the decision, what was said, what was understood, or whether they were ever actually given a chance to share their side.