Alexander Russo writes pretty much what I've been thinking for a long time about these anecdotal reports of kids throwing up from the pressures of high-stakes testing: It's not the fault of NCLB, or testing; It's the fault of adults in the schools who are creating an environment where kids feel so much stress and pressure about tests that, in many cases, don't even have consequences for them. And adults doing that to kids really is nauseating, IMHO.
Not only that, it's irrational and counterproductive. If you want kids to take on a challenge and do well on it, you don't freak them out. You try to create an environment where the kid feels comfortable and supported, make him feel like it's no big deal, tell her you know she can do it. Getting a kid all worked up and stressed about a test is like spending the whole time in the car taking your kid to get his shots telling him how much it's gonna hurt.
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