States are establishing high stakes assessments to serve as measurement tools of students' academic abilities. This study essentially compares Maryland's and Florida's mathematics and science assessments for similarities and differences. Building from 5-10 years of student level quantitative data (secondary data) and critical analyses of the states' exams, the examination of the effects of increase testing on student subgroups, and the impacts of increase testing on Maryland's and Florida's graduation rates were looked at. Data reveals the negative impacts of increase testing on students' performance, particularly those of low socioeconomics and those that are of a minority status--Black or Hispanic. Moreover, secondary data analyzed revealed that: (a) there were some similarities and differences between Maryland's and Florida's assessments, and (b) for both states, poor minority students were the lower performers. For future studies, it is recommended that more analyses of states' assessments and students' performance be conducted in order to enhance the educational literature, particularly with respect to assessment issues. [This report is published in "International Journal of TESOL and Learning."]