This report describes research on current assessment procedures affecting educational instruction. The targeted population consisted of third and fifth grade students, teachers, administrators, local school board members, and parents from one highly populated metropolitan public elementary school and a small suburban public elementary school near a major metropolitan city. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that when surveyed, students and teachers exposed that a heavy emphasis has been placed on student standardized test performance. Several underlying causes for an emphasis on current assessment procedures were found. As the tests have become more important in lawmakers' eyes, the practice of teaching to the test has also increased dramatically. School personnel want students to succeed and reveal what they know on the tests. A review of the literature makes it apparent that the assessment issue continues to be heavily debated. Education and educational reform are major issues. Often educators find themselves torn between assessment for accountability and the need for assessment to improve instruction. Existence of this problem became evident through personal interviews. The interviews consisted of teachers, parents, local school board members, and administrators. Standardized tests have affected many different people in a variety of ways; however, the predominant weight of this problem still seems to fall back on the teacher. This may be the ultimate reason why teachers teach to the test. In conclusion, it can be noted that testing provides schools with information, which can be helpful in making decisions relevant to student achievement. Although current approaches to assessment have become limited, results from this study suggest that opportunities can be developed where students will gain ownership of and insight about their own learning, thus providing teachers with a rich basis for making professional judgments about instruction. Contains 18 references and 2 tables of data. Appendixes contain teacher and student surveys. (Author/RS)