Since at least the enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002, standardized test scores have served as the primary measures of public school effectiveness. Yet, such scores fail to measure the ultimate goal of education: maximizing happiness. This exploratory analysis assesses nation level associations between test scores and happiness, controlling for a strong correlate of both, per-capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Controlling for GDP, the association between test scores and happiness is greatly decreased, offering reason to question the sole use of test scores as measures of school success.