A study examined the relationship between assessment and decision making in one of five school districts participating in a national study. Data collected in two alternative elementary schools (one literature-based and one informal) in a large urban school district in Ohio included field notes of classroom observations during reading and language arts periods, and audiotaped, semi-structured interviews with students, parents, teachers, principals, and district-level administrators. Analysis revealed patterns of consensus across both schools regarding the top-down nature of curricular decisions and the importance of school-based support among teachers and administrators. Patterns of tension included concerns about the intrusive nature of standardized testing on both classroom time and out-of-class professional time, dilemmas surrounding the manner and time of preparation for such tests, and the use of classroom-based assessments as documentation for letter grades. The principals in both buildings served as mediators for tensions to shelter teachers and students from excessive pressures related to standardized testing. (Contains 16 references; interview schedules for administrators, principals, teachers, and students are attached.) (Author/RS)