Positive And Negative Effects Of Standardized Testing

Up to four times a year, students across the country sit in a room for over four hours, taking long exams that test their knowledge over math, reading, English, science, and history. All year long, teachers prep their students for “the big test,” mimicking testing environments, test questions, and teaching exactly what is needed to score high on the test. According to the government, standardized testing helps make sure every student learns the same thing and develop their education as far as they can. In reality, standardized testing has negative effects on a students’ education because every student has different learning styles and abilities and testing leads to boring, repetitive teachers who teach to the test.

When a family goes out to a restaurant, usually everyone orders something different. The dad may order a steak, the mom might order a salad, and the kid may order chicken nuggets. This is because no one has the same taste buds. If a restaurant only had one option, it would only appeal to a small percentage of the population. The same thing can be said about students. Every student learns differently and has unique abilities. Some kids, because stress and anxiety might get in their way of thinking, don’t test as well as other kids, even though they are very smart. Standardized test only work for the average student. Students who think outside the box, use creative thinking, and have amazing leadership skills are labeled as “below average” because the exam doesn’t