Arguments Against Standardized Testing In Schools

Injustice in schools and education is no secret, many people disagree with the system and the way schools teach. Children get taught mainly about what is going to be on their test and they are not being taught real-world, life lessons that will go on in their daily life. It is unjust to teach children for what is going to be on their test and not useful information that they will use in the real world. Teaching should be based on life lessons such as learning how to apply for a job, which you could learn in english class, and other things like that. For example, one reason that schools teaching for tests is unjust is because at the end of every school year the state of Texas assigns students tests such as the STAAR test and EOC exams to “test the students’ knowledge”.

There are some issues with NCLB that will need to be addressed by Congress when thinking about revisions. The entire system of NCLB is based on a test. This angers teachers in many ways. Because the whole system centers on a standardized test, teachers are no longer teaching students new and exciting curriculum to help them grow. There is no more individualized instruction; everything is scripted curriculum to prepare kids for the test.

An issue surfaced when Kath M. Newman, an associate professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University, stated that she was angry at her son about a test. She stated that these “high-stakes” test will not reflect his true abilities due to pressure. Some educators agree that the testing format from standardized tests are not ideal. However, there were other educators who disagree stating that these tests are needed to ensure that educators are doing their job and for student to absorb the material (Tony 8). What the standardized tests already ensure are the unbiased and reliable way in measuring a student’s ability and a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom.

The form of questions in which they ask a question and provide three or more choices of answers with it. Many students do not like these type of questions for the following reasons: The answers all sound the same, they confuse more than they help, and some believe that reading more than one possible answer for a question would make one rethink what they know, and therefore select the wrong answer. Also, in mathematics standardized tests for example, multiple choice questions are not a good way to determine how much students know. A student might solve a problem or an equation correctly through all the steps then makes a small mistake at the end and lose all the points for the question making it unfair and not a real representation of what they know. On the other hand, these types of tests are easier for cheating.

Most students dislike them, and they restrict self-expression and individuality. Forcing students to wear one thing or another will leave them uncomfortable, with one less outlet to express themselves. Though they may make your mornings shorter and leave your wardrobe simple, school uniforms leave children somewhat unprepared for adulthood, with their clothing choices pre made. While some state that school uniforms stop or decrease bullying, bullying stretches beyond clothing and brands; it targets race, ethnicity, personality, sexual orientation, and all the things in between. The vast majority of kids are against school uniforms, so in an environment where children and teenagers need to be supported and educated, their needs should be the top priority -- and school uniforms do little to help

Standardized tests are tests that students take globally, and yearly. Students try to cram in weeks and years of knowledge in just to get prepared for theses tests. Do you think this is a healthy lifestyle for students? Schools should eliminate standardized tests. First, standardized tests causes stress among students.

A pensive child may choose an answer that is credible or could be proven conceivable through explanation, but instead, the answer is judged as “wrong.” “ As a teaching tool, the tests are deeply flawed because they quash imagination, creativity, and divergent thinking. These are mental habits we should encourage, not punish.” (Diane Ravitch). Additionally, some pro-standardized testing people claim that higher scores are proof that the examinations are necessary, although these higher test scores might just shows the student’s ability to take a test, instead of actually indicating their intellect. It’s incredibly arduous to create a multiple choice question that enables a student to reveal what they can do with what they have learned (Roger Farr). Students who are truly challenged and are given the opportunity to think of a different way to solve a problem, are the same people that drive innovation and ingenuity in a successful society.

Laws such as NCLB, and RTTT should no longer exist. The system of scoring that is currently used hurts both slower, and advanced students due to its pressure and ease. "Tracking generally hurts slower students but does not help more advanced students" ("How Standardized Testing Damages Education" 1). Tracking of test scores as a school or even class only hurts both sides, advanced students get bored because they have to slow down for the other students, and slower students feel pressured to rush, because of the advanced students. Currently, students spend an immense amount of time studying for both low-risk and high-risk assessments respectively.

Moreover, when faced with discriminative environment, these students disconnect themselves from campuses and schools in general. Muslim students report that especially prejudice and misunderstandings by their educators influence their educational performance directly. For example, Rashid, who is a Muslim student, had a bad relationship with his instructor and didn’t do some readings for his Islamic studies course because he thought that they misrepresented Islam. As a result, he got low grades for some other courses taught by his instructor (Nasir and Al-Amin, 2006,

Studies show that this numerical score, otherwise known as VAM (value-added modeling), is both unstable and unfair. The overwhelming tendency for the same teacher’s scores to fluctuate between multiple years concerns the critics of standardized tests and is a major flaw in the system. As stated by Diane Henningfeld, author of Standardized Testing- At Issue, “the true quality of a teacher is likely to change very little over time” (54). The current system, however, frequently penalizes educators when natural fluctuation occurs. Constantly replacing seemingly ineffective teachers is harmful because it does not leave the opportunity for teachers to get comfortable in their position.

Argument against Standardized Tests Standardized testing is one of the most controversial and highly debated topics in the United States today. These tests are commonly used to measure the students’ academic achievements and act as yardstick for teachers’ effectiveness in academic delivery. A typical student sits for at least “112 compulsory standardized tests between pre-kindergarten classes and 12th grade” (Layton). Proponents of standardized testing believe that the practice provides accurate measurements of student performance and teachers effectiveness. On the other hand, opponents of standardized testing argue that a single test given on a single day can neither be an accurate measure of the students’ academic achievement nor a yardstick

With this information provided in this article, they still think that the rules will not work for the students and some school system still wanted to know if the Common Core Standards will be used during the academic year. As of Mississippi’s education system, they are using the Common Core Standards, but the teachers, parents, and students are still upset about the standards they are using in the school system. Some education system has turned into a battlefield about the standards because they do not want to change their standards because students are still having a problem with the standardize tests. The school system using these standards will take out all of the fun in teaching and

Parents are stressed because they want the best for their children. Like parents, teacher are stress for the same reason but they have another factor affecting them. How their students perform on this test affects their paycheck. Though parents and teachers have a lot to worry about, there is no one else more pressured than the students taking the tests. Standardized tests scores are used to compare students and these students are aware of the importance of the reading and math standardized tests so they worry greatly about their performance on the test.

Teachers and the school are obligated to teach the student what is essential for the standardized test. The scores are public record so when teachers and schools do not meet the test requirement they are placed under scrutiny. This can result to job loss and in extreme cases the school may be seized by the state. In the article, Testing does not measure up for Americans, Jeanette Deutermann of North Bellmore, NY objects to the tie between testing and teacher evaluations that has been promoted by the U.S. Department of Education. “If they hadn’t done that, none of this would have gone as it has.

Standardized tests aren 't an accurate way to test a child 's knowledge because the student could be having a bad day which would affect their score. Some students just have bad days while others just aren 't good