It is the author's thesis that children's intellectual rights are denied in U.S. public education because creativity and self-motivated inquiry are discouraged. As a result of standardized testing, learning tends to be defined in terms of the retention of specific facts. Higher cognitive processes such as abstract reasoning, problem solving, and creative thinking have been excluded from the realm of desired educational outcomes. The suppression of these cognitive processes is the basis for the author's claim that children's intellectual rights are denied, across all status groups. Educational literature is reviewed in detail to corroborate this thesis and to suggest its consequences. In conclusion, some suggestions for redirecting educational efforts are offered. (Author/MV)