According to IRA standards, “the primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and learning” (International Reading Association, n.d.). This connotation would seem to contradict the futility of targeted testing of teachers in today's classrooms during the main assessment phase of the school year. However, according to Johnson and Johnson (2002) and Steward (2004), they believe that assessments are useful in holding schools, states, and nations accountable for student learning throughout the educational process (as cited in Richardson, Morgan, and Fleener, 2009). ). As many of us educators in this district know, this responsibility could be seen in our state's proficiency exam, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), formerly Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), along with the No Child Left Behind Policies. High-stakes testing has serious implications for English language learners (ELLs) with language proficiency difficulties. These particular students need specific help to achieve these high standards of learning. Today's teachers, therefore, must be provided with the kind of preparation necessary to work with English language learners in American classrooms. Educators and politicians are still debating whether teachers can meet this need through the No Child Left Behind Act. The article, “A Child is not a Test Score: Assessment as a Civil Right,” reminds educators that one of the former presidents , George W. Bush, provided America with the No Child Left Behind Act, which served to change testing procedures and student stakes nationwide. (Neill, 2009). Additionally, in the article, current President Obama stated, “We should not have to spend the academic year preparing…halfway through a test…, blaming poor test scores on demographics , stating that not all students are exposed to the same material and many teachers feel that the NCLB law has forgotten the needs of different students. In fact, according to the Texas ELL Progress Measure fact sheet, Texas has already modified and even lowered student expectations STAAR ® tests for students learning English, another change that has disconcerted the district's ESL teachers (TEA, n.d.) should be made available throughout the district learn more about how students' socioeconomic and other demographic statuses impact standardized test scores to ensure we are aware of what our students need to advance through the K-12 grade levels and beyond to the university and career.