Arguments Against Standardized Testing
Standardized Tests: It’s Time for Them to Go
After months of standardized prep work and sitting in silence, Julia was excited to see how she performed on the SATs. Even though she had tried her hardest, she read “below the benchmark” for her age group. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for school, she thought. Unfortunately, this situation is normal as standardized tests have been used for decades to assess student’s academic achievements. The number of standardized tests students take is greater than ever and that comes with a tremendous amount of stress and preparation. Despite the fact that standardized test hold teachers and students accountable, standardized tests should be limited because they are not beneficial for students.
Some people believe that standardized tests hold teachers accountable
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These people argue that standardized tests are objective and reliable for checking on students’ educational development; in addition, standardized tests serve as a guideline for what students need. The Office of Work/Life claims that “Standardized tests provide teachers with guidance for what and when something needs to be taught” (Columbia University). As a result, they make it easy to check student’s progress and make sure they’re getting the knowledge they need. Although teachers may be held accountable, Retired teacher, Marion Brady, emphasizes that “minimal to no useful feedback” is given (The complete list). Results from standardized tests are given as numbers, not feedback. Therefore, teachers may be guided on what to teach leading up to the tests, but the tests don’t provide guidance on how to improve a student’s problem areas. Furthermore, the Office of Work/Life at Columbia University notes that the “Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) only focuses on whether a student is proficient at the time of testing” (Columbia University). While teachers are held accountable for
Arguments Against Standardized Testing
885 Words | 4 PagesTrue high-stakes standardized testing was begun in 2001, as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, which was put into place to help make it so that all children would have an equal opportunity to learn, regardless of their race, ethnic background or their families’ income level. While their goals sound admirable, the problem began with the implementation of the act; they wanted to ensure that each child was at least proficient in the standards that they developed, so they decided that testing was the best way to do so (Aske, Connelly & Corman, 2013). The issue with this is that not all students excel at test-taking, and putting so much emphasis on it can cause a student severe stress and anxiety (Colwell, 2013). In 2009, Race to the Top was implemented, but instead of placing less emphasis on testing and more on learning, it made the stakes worse, ensuring that schools that had students who did not perform as well could be shut down, or individual teachers could be fired if they did not show what was considered to be appropriate progress in test scores, which might soon prove impossible since the optimal goal is to reach a level of 100 percent of the students in a school to the proficiency level (Tavakolian & Howell,
Arguments Against Standardized Testing
809 Words | 4 PagesStandardized testing has been used in the United States since the late 1800s to test students in the subjects they’ve been studying for an entire year and ultimately decide if they pass or fail the year based on the results of these tests. After the No Child left Behind Act the use of the standardized tests increased, but have only negatively affected students in their learning. Backlashes to standardized testing has increased from students, teachers, and parents who deem these tests useless and unnecessary to a child’s education since students are only “taught to test.” Standardized tests should be removed as they offer students no life skills, they cause stress to students and teachers, and they only benefit the multibillion dollar companies distributing these tests. While many people are against standardized tests, many individuals still support these tests.
Is Standardized Testing Bad
1212 Words | 5 PagesProponents see standardized testing as a way of making testing more efficient and effective by minimizing cost and increasing people’s accountability for their performance in the system. Opponents on the other hand argue that the systems has limitations based on its very nature on what can be tested and as a result of these standards needing to be met sacrifice some very important aspects of students education experience as well as force onto students and teachers a one size fits all model that has failed to deliver on its promises. After having reviewed all the evidence in detail it becomes clear to me that standardized testing is not an effective system for educating students and does more bad than good
Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay
1229 Words | 5 PagesStandard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.
Arguments Against Standardized Testing
866 Words | 4 Pages“Daniel Kortez puts it, scores on a Standardized Test “usually do not provide a direct and complete measure of educational achievement. ”(Harris). Teachers fail to teach the material that students need to know to do well, leading to inaccurate test scores. In schools, students were reportedly “superficially engaged if they just copied down answers, guessed a lot, and skipped the hard parts.” (Harris).
Essay On Limiting Standardized Testing
573 Words | 3 PagesThe average American student takes about 112 standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade (Strauss). A standardized test is any form of test that requires the student to answer the same selection of common questions in a consistent matter, which makes it possible to compare relative student performance. Standardized tests restrict creativity, waste time, and waste money. We should get rid of standardized tests in our school system. Standardized tests limit a student’s ability to express creativity.
Essay On Get Rid Of Standardized Testing
721 Words | 3 PagesAlthough some might say standardized tests are useful metrics for teacher evaluations, the teachers can not make students do well on a test. Standardized testing has a stigma that if one does not do well on the tests then their future will be at stake and they will probably not do well in life. This is simply not true, taking one moment, one day, one hour of someone's life and making them take a test will not show you how well a student will do in the future. The tests
Standardized Testing Persuasive Essay
712 Words | 3 PagesThey began to teach students for the test, instead of understanding the concepts. I, in personal experience, study my subjects to pass the tests and receive a good grade, not to fully understand the concepts. Good learning techniques are now being replaced with repetition and teaching how to proficiently ace the test. In 2007, a study at the University of Maryland found that teachers felt that they needed to “teach the test” since they could receive consequences if they failed to get over the Adequate Yearly Process. Standardized testing showed no signs of students improving as well.
Standardized Testing In Public Schools
1191 Words | 5 PagesSchool’s are using standardized testing for the wrong reason. “A standardized test is any examination that’s administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. There are two major kinds of standardized tests: aptitude tests and achievement tests” (Popham, 1999). The most common examples of aptitude tests are the SAT and the
Arguments Against Standardized Testing
1247 Words | 5 PagesStandardized tests evaluate individuals on a limited set of abilities while adding in the factor of time. “While universities anticipate students to have vast understandings and abilities across a variety of topics as well as to be able to show improvement in topics over time” (Koretz, 2017). The concept of showing academic growth over time can be seen with GPA, whereas the ACT and SAT is a timed test that evaluates students' knowledge at that current moment. In addition to assigning students a set amount of time to complete the exam, these tests are not accessible to everyone.
Standardized Testing Persuasive Essay
1766 Words | 8 PagesStudents are typically against standardized testing. They believe it causes too much stress and is too “high stakes”. This group also includes many teachers who are tired of “teaching to the test”. The teachers have seen important programs cut in order to spend more time preparing for the tests. There is a compromise position that a growing number of people started to support.
Arguments Against Standardized Testing
501 Words | 3 PagesStandardized testing is a topic that is controversial among educators, the government, and practically everyone who has a child or is a student. Some people believe that standardized testing is the best way to gather a consensus on how students are performing. Others believe that testing is necessary, but it should not be the main focus in the classroom. It is difficult to gage on whether teaching quality is affected by these tests, because teaching happens behind closed doors, and teachers are not observed daily.
Standardized Testing, And Technology: Critical Issues In Schools
977 Words | 4 PagesStandardized testing is what many teachers feel that they can no longer teach the curriculum based on achievement and individual’s
The Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing
552 Words | 3 PagesNot only do standardized test put pressure on educators, standardized tests are an inaccurate way to measure the performance of teachers or professors. This chart shows student test performance is profoundly related to child
Persuasive Essay On No Child Left Behind
519 Words | 3 PagesStandardized testing creates teachers to only teach to the test which causes decrease in students’ learning potential. The test
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