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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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