In nearly every school across America, standardized, timed tests are used to assess the quality of education received by its students. Number two pencils at the ready? Begin. "This test is America's Report Card --- a massive, ongoing project that costs millions, if not billions, of dollars. What's at stake is the nation's future."

I am reminded of "The X-Files" and Men in Black as I read about the test graders and the secret test filing centers in AMERICA'S REPORT CARD. When Jainey O'Sullivan, a high school senior, receives a note from her grade school art teacher, Mrs. Grant, that she would like to give away her possessions, the world for Jainey begins to drastically change for good. Unsure of the difference between fact and fiction, Jainey sets out to unravel the reasons behind Mrs. Grant's untimely note and ultimate demise. From here on, there is paranoia at every turn of the page!

Having just completed his Master's degree, Charlie Wolf has no career plans. While deciding on his career path, he secures a job as a test grader. Little does he realize the impact this decision will have on the rest of his life

Consistency in scoring is critical to evaluating the success of each student, school, district and state. "In order to monitor consistency, one answer in every fifteen that appeared on Charlie's screen was actually an answer that had been scored three years earlier. Charlie however would have no idea which answers were the old ones." As an example, "alligator" was the correct answer and was scored for the highest point value, six. Three years prior, the team scored the answer "reptile" for the full six points. Hundreds of the several thousand tests had already been scored. Consistency is now out the window!

Charlie and his co-worker, Jacob, decide that scoring the tests is a front for a political, psychological profiling operation. When he becomes smitten with a woman who works near Chicago, Charlie requests a transfer there to work in the "deep storage" unit, where all the old tests are permanently filed

In each test file, there is a summary:

Probabilities:

• Political affiliation
• Activism
• Employment
• Earnings
• Marital status
• Sexuality
• Religion
• Threat to self
• Threat to society
• Most likely crime to commit

Each character is an extremist in some way. Either they see themselves as political activists, or otherwise feel obliged to change the world or at least alert everyone to the crimes being committed against society.

There is great humor and irony in AMERICA'S REPORT CARD, with quick, terse dialogue and colorful characters. Everyone has a theory on the President, war and abortion, social justice and Armageddon. Each and every American's eventual outcome is predicted by scored, standardized tests. Are they real or imagined, predictors or junk? You decide!