High-stakes standardized tests are often used as a way to enforce educational reforms that are aimed at improving teaching and learning, and to hold stakeholders accountable for student achievement. Many assessment systems attach negative consequences to test scores including retention and loss of funding costs. Thus, teachers are forced to take measures that guarantee improvement in test scores. There is also a tendency for teachers to narrow the curriculum by only focusing on the content areas and skills that are assessed on the tests. Several studies have examined the impact that language...