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Focuses on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), a standardized test administered to the students of Lone Star School in Texas. Argument that high assessment scores in Texas public schools misrepresented the student ability; Opinion that students who scored high on the TAAS performed poorly on other standardized tests; Speculations of dishonest score reporting which includes selective exemption of students and fraud; Implications of TAAS for Texas Governor George W. Bush who claims responsibility for reforming education in Texas.

Focuses on accidental investigation firm Failure Analysis Associates Inc.'s study of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Recruitment of Failure Analysis by the National Rifle Association to construct a computer simulation and detailed study of the Davidians' final hours; Declaration made by Greg Haussmann, lead author of the study that FBI's tear gas prevented people from escaping the compound.