Long Term Effects from Inquiry-based Methods

I decided to focus my research on the question, “What are the long-term effects of science inquiry on high-stakes testing, as well as on students’ attitudes towards science?” I wanted to know if the shift in science instruction, from a more direct approach to a more inquisitive approach, has negatively or positively affected students’ test scores and attitudes.
Since inquiry-based curriculum is derived from students’ investigations and prior knowledge, no two classes are identical. Each class is going to bring their own questions, preconceptions, and experiences into the class, making the curriculum and science content individualized and class specific. Of course, state and national standards may help to direct the curriculum a bit; students are still going to be the deciding factors of what content is investigated and manipulated in a student-centered learning environment. Thus, how can standardize tests be created to assess students’ knowledge, when not every class may be learning the same thing or conducting the same investigation? Will certain classes have advantages over other classes that took longer to investigate one topic over another?
I also decided to take a closer look at the impact of inquiry-based teaching on students with disabilities and possible best practices for greatest academic success.