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High Stakes Testing Research Paper

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Discussion Post- Chapter 7- High stakes testing
Claim: High stakes testing is an extremely problematic political issue within the education system because it holds all students to the same standards regardless of disabilities or disadvantages, it encourages educators to teach strictly on information that relates to the tests, and it can have major consequences for schools across the country that are unable to make Adequete Yearly Progress (AYP).
Evidence: The Learning to Teach Edition Nine textbook outlines key disadvantages to high stakes testing. Although the textbook does consider some of the advantages, which include a focus of attention on the achievement of students and providing information on areas where students may need to improve, …show more content…

⦁ Students with Disadvantages and Disabilities: The textbook claims that critics believe high stakes testing disadvantages specific groups of students in relation to ethnicity, disibility, income, and language (Enz, Bergeron, & Wolfe 197). High stakes testing also increases the likelihood that at risk students will leave high school without a diploma, which may have an impact on their future economic success (Enz, Bergeron, & Wolfe. 197). These tests also hold all students accountable for the same knowledge, even if they have personal disabilities that may effect their test taking skills. For example, schools with a large amount of at risk students that are learning English will most likely have a harder time taking an all English high stakes test than a Caucasian student who has spent his entire life in America. …show more content…

Teachers may do this because of the consequences due to low scores on high stakes testing, which include negative labels for schools, potential loss of merit pay, and even the possibility of losing jobs (Enz, Bergeron, & Wolfe 196). High stakes tests also may distract teachers from inspiring their students to actually learn, by having students mindlessly memorize facts related to the test (Enz, Bergeron, & Wolfe 194). This teaches students to remember information until the day of the test, then after that, the content is not retained because the significance of it is not apparent. Teaching to the test also fails to encourage creativity and individuality in the classroom, since all students are expected to learn the same information in the same

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True 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,

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771 Words | 4 Pages

From studying education, I have noticed how many school districts teach based upon what the students will be tested over. As a future educator, I feel as if a standardized test cannot determine what a student is capable of. The individuals creating the test often don’t realize that many students suffer from test anxiety, in fear of failing the test and what is more fearful is how the school districts pressure the teachers to stress to the students the importance of passing the test. Also, in this chapter Boaler describes assessment for learning as having three components clear communication about what students have learned, a way to help students understand where they are on their journey to mastery and where they still need to improve, and information on ways to get from where students are currently to where they need to be to meet success criteria. This chapter offered several strategies that will help students have a better grasp of where they are in the learning process and that will help them develop and maintain a growth mindset.

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266 Words | 2 Pages

I applaud the American Evaluation Association (AEA) in taking a strong stance on the deleterious effects of high stakes testing, especially going so far as to promulgate their reasons and concerns. It is obvious from the statement that the AEA supports the importance of testing and accountability in improving education, but finds the current testing manipulation environment to be harmful for any positive improvements in education. Specifically, how the monolithic testing focus has increased dropout rates, created cultural insensitivity, turned the community against teachers and administrators, and driven curriculum writing with a myopic focus, of teaching to the test. In addition, the AEA highlights other adverse effects of narrowing the focus

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338 Words | 2 Pages

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1383 Words | 6 Pages

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1255 Words | 6 Pages

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Moreover, high stake testing has force teachers to cut out essential elements of the curriculum t required to make well-rounded learners. Currently, 42% percent of teachers stated “high-stakes testing has restricted their creativity to teach which has negatively affected the student learning environment” (Walker, 2014). Because of this result parents are expressing their concerns that school

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