As a result, instructors are now asked to teach to the test, and the amount of material presented to students in class is reduced to emphasize key exam points that will improve the test scores. This lack of curricular diversity affects students more than any other party involved; students are held back from their ultimate potential due to the mediocrity of the information presented to them in school. Schools no longer try to produce brighter, higher-achieving students, but rather students who are good at test-taking. While this seems to defeat the purpose of education, schools unfortunately must consider these options to try to get their state to receive more federal funding due to higher test scores. Standardized assessments prevent educators from exercising their roles as instructors of all subjects, schools from attempting to produce literate and successful students, and students from constructing thoughts abstractly, rather than answering a question.