The myth equating high-stakes testing with rigor and difficulty is one that can be debunked given the empirical work that has been conducted in this area. To completely debunk this myth in gifted education, the field must centralize efforts. Educators need to consider alternatives to the current system of assessment and the delivery of instruction. Although the focus on high-stakes testing for accountability purposes does not seem to be a passing fad typical of many educational phenomena, it does suggest that leaders in the field and proponents of gifted education need to "become strong voices" for a balanced system that emphasizes assessment for learning with assessment for accountability purposes. School settings must advocate for flexible grouping configurations to accommodate the varying needs of gifted students to master basic skills and concepts as well as opportunities to move beyond the test preparation when evidence warrants. To move beyond the myth, a balanced approach to assessment must occur, one that includes changes in educators' actions as well as their beliefs about high-stakes tests. (Contains 1 note.)