The present paper aims to analyze the trajectory of the Walt Whitman Rostow's modernization theory (1960), the theoretical foundation of the Alliance for Progress, as well as the unfolding of this theory in what Afonso [1] names as the Evaluative State in education. This paper draws upon the works of Afonso [1]; Dale [12]; Gaio [9]; Latham [4]; Loureiro [6]; Neto [11]; Rabe [13]; Ribeiro [7]; Romanelli [8]; Saviani [10] and the official documents of the American government [2]. The literature review and the documental research demonstrate that there is a close tie between the modernization theory's core values and the current international standardized tests, such as the PISA (OECD Program for International Student Assessment), which aim to rank and classify the countries' educational systems according to universal values.