The problem with students who pass classes, but fail standardized tests

In today's "the test is everything" society, students who work diligently to make good grades, but do not necessarily do as well on standardized tests are being left behind.
An article in today's Washington Post examines this growing problem:

Supporters of the federal law (No Child Left Behind) say standardized exams are the best way to raise academic standards and the only way to hold schools accountable for results. Critics complain that time spent on test preparation saps classroom creativity and that test scores are just one indicator among many of student achievement.