[Astrokid248]

At the GT intermediate I attended (it also had regularly zoned kids, but we ignored them) the metal shop was removed after a liability lawsuit. All other intermediates followed suit. No such lawsuit has hit the high schools, so their shops are safe for the time being.
I remember my GT teachers telling me how upset they were that they had to teach to the TAKS test for three weeks each year. Didn't matter that we could pass it in our sleep; they'd be fired if they ignored the curriculum. So there's that. AP tests, more so than the SAT, have seemed like good tools to measure success because of the question content. There was a lovely article on engineering in space in my English 3 AP exam, and my World History AP exam required the sort of depth of thought you'd normally see from a really intense brainstorming session. But the article isn't taking that into account; its sole focus is state-mandated tests like STAR and TAKS. Which I think need to be replaced for those who measure a factor above the normal drivel.