...politics and the tight race for the presidency. "Test scores are a political tool, not an educational one," said Robert Schaeffer of FairTest, a Cambridge, Mass., group that monitors testing. "They used to say we're going to be tough on...

...direction. "There will be strong pressure on other state college systems to follow California's lead," said Robert Schaeffer of FairTest, which advocates less emphasis on standardized test. One of the criticisms leveled against the SAT...

...started gathering hours before the parade's noon kickoff. "I got here at 6 a.m. and I'm not crazy," said Robert Schaeffer, of the Bronx. "It's a little cold but it's worth it." Grand Marshal Yogi Berra waved from a 1952 Chrysler...