Disadvantages Of Standardized Testing In The United States

Standardized testing is a fundamental part of the American education system and that has been the case for many years. During those years, such testing has provided the education system with some benefits. However, for the most part, this testing has had a detrimental effect on the quality of schools, how teachers teach, the education of students, and the American education system itself. As such, this kind of testing has proved to be more harmful than it is beneficial. As a result, standardized testing should be removed from the American education system because it influences schools to inefficiently use classroom instruction time, encourages inefficient teaching methods, produces inaccurate scores, and restricts the creativity of students, a quality that they need.

Standardized testing is becoming a concern for many. There are many pro and cons associated with standardized testing and students. In our present education system, standardized testing is view as a way to find out the progress the student has or is academically. However, this may not always be the case. Standardized testing is actually putting a lot of pressure on students, families, teacher, and the school system.

Some educators say that the use of standardized tests should be increased because there are many professional fields where it is necessary to test a person’s knowledge in order to examine individuals for a position. According to Donald McAdams, “Physicians, lawyers, accountants, financial planners, real-estate brokers, and pilots all take high-stakes tests. These tests ensure that professionals have the knowledge necessary to serve the public well” (“Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America"). While tests may be effective in certain professions, standardized tests can be an ineffective to measure a student’s academic performance. Standardized tests cover a broad area of diverse subjects while high-stakes test focus on

To Test or To Read It would be nice to imagine that everyone begins at the start line together. Unfortunately, a majority of people start at a disadvantage. In most public elementary schools, there are students in every grade level that are reading behind grade level. Consequently, these same students will encounter tests throughout their whole academic career. Starting in elementary school, a literacy gap will begin to emerge among students.

Standardized tests are tests that are used to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students. A standardized test requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, and is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner. These questions are usually in a multiple-choice or true and false format which can be scored quickly and consistently, but can also include short-answer questions, essay questions, or a mix of question types which are more time-consuming to evaluate consistently. Previously, standardized tests were paper-based, for instance OMR sheets were used for multiple choice tests where test takers were required to fill in their choices using pencils and these answer sheets were then read by OMR machines. Some tests are still paper-based but as technology advances, standardized tests are increasingly being administered on computers connected to online programs that make correction easier, quicker and relatively inexpensive.

To Test or To Read It would be nice to imagine that everyone begins at the start line together. Unfortunately, a majority of people start at a disadvantage. In most public elementary schools, there are students in every grade level that are reading behind grade level. These same students will encounter tests throughout their whole academic career. Starting in elementary school, a literacy gap will begin to emerge among students.

“Oh, another?” You groan as you sit down, and you probably won’t get up for several more hours. Thus begins the fourth day of standardized testing. Students should not have to take standardized testing because it takes up too much class time, it puts stress on teachers and students, and students already take too many tests in each subject.

There is evidence to support that standardized tests are negatively affecting our students, lowering the quality of education, and leaving our students ill prepared for the “real world.” There is also evidence that standardized tests are not a good measurement of intelligence for everyone as discussed by Howard Gardner in his multiple intelligences theory. Evidence suggests that standardized tests should be reevaluated, changed, or completely eliminated. Participants I sent surveys (Appendix A) to 2 former standardized test takers.

As reported by the Office of Work/Life of the Columbia University there are both pros and cons of standardized testing. They state that the main benefit is that these tests make schools and teachers accountable, and that they should teach what students need to know for these tests. This, however, has a con; teachers may lose jobs and schools may be even shut if students repeatedly, which will put extreme pressure on both parties, in turn, causing them to teach only what would be necessary, hindering a student’s potential. Another pro included in this report is the ability that it gives educational boards to evaluate sub-groups and develop programs so as to better educate them. Standardized tests also allow parents to see how their children are doing in school compared to the country, state, or municipality.

Standardized testing is very common in the United States, and has been in the United States of America (US) for more than fifty years. In today’s society, standardized tests have become the norm. They are more pressure packed and strenuous than ever. Standardized testing used to only be used sparingly, but now every child from elementary school to a college graduate school must take these rigorous exams. Standardized tests can be very helpful when it comes to positive student achievement, equal content and comparison, and helps prepare you for college.

The use of standardized testing is ancient, dating back to the practice of making government prospects in China take examinations in order to test their knowledge of Confucian philosophy and poetry (Fletcher 2009). The idea of using standardized testing in college admissions first appeared with the introduction of the SAT in 1926, followed by the ACT, created in 1959. Growing in popularity, both tests were incorporated into the admissions process at many different universities across the nation. In more recent times, many people have questioned the relevance of standardized test scores as a major factor in admitting students into a university. This is due to the idea that standardized tests are not a suitable way to measure a student’s intellectual