Since the introduction of standardized tests, we have seen a larger focus on trying to catch everyone up to the ability to take the same test. This has made teaching nearly impossible, since now teachers are teaching a sliver of the class what they really need to learn and because of this and the barriers that students face, “U.S. students slipped from 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 31st place in 2009, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading” (Shatzky). Students are no longer being taught how to learn and how to critically think, and are instead taught how to take a test because although we see a decline in the rankings of the world; the test score averages have increased over time. How is it that we as a country are falling in rank, but increasing in test scores which should reflect an increase in
Standardized test has been the topic of a debate for over a decade now with parents getting concerned about their children. A standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and it is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students. It is also used to hold teachers accountable for the performance of the students. It is primarily associated with large-scale tests administered to large populations of students. This is often used in achievement tests, aptitude tests, college-admissions tests, international comparison tests,
This is a good point and it is awesome to have easy accessible grades but this only proves our laziness to put easy to read grades over meaningful and truthful ones. If the grade that you see is the true representation of the understanding and knowledge on that topic then it is definitely a worthwhile one. “Proponents argue that standardized testing is the most efficient method of assessing the performance of students and institutions and of maintaining the quality of education.”(Standardized testing).Standardized testing may be the most proficient and the best looking test scores but that does not mean that they are the best for the students and how the teachers teach the students on the topic. These testing methods often sways teachers just to teach according to what’s going to be on the test but this is not good because there is much more understanding outside of the test. Sometimes tests only show a small portion of what is being teached and don’t truly test kids on their understanding but what they can pick from a little multiple choice bubble.
(1) Standardized Tests Are Ineffective Standardized tests in elementary and secondary schools are ineffective because they aren 't taken seriously, don 't accurately portray one 's intelligence, and they change the way students view themselves. When students take standardized tests, many don 't take them seriously which affects the data collected, creates a lack of school interest, and increase of stress. The purpose of standardized tests is to evaluate students individually and as a whole through academics. When students don 't try their best, their full capabilities and knowledge aren 't reflected by the test scores collected making it hard for educators to gage what needs or doesn 't need improvement. Additionally, the lack of seriousness transitions into students being uninterested in school because they have to take unnecessarily long tests.
This means that, even if a student may not know a skill at the time of the test, it doesn’t mean that they will never know it. Unfortunately, standardized testing only gives a rough estimate of what a student can do or knows. It is impossible to tell if a student will improve, or even tell if the student just guessed on all of their answers for the test. This explains how standardized tests do not measure the correct information that school’s are actually searching
I believe that it puts too much stress on kids and it doesn’t show their full potential. Kids could be amazing writers, be very creative, have outstanding leadership, but these tests don’t show any of these talents. Standardized testing should not be required in school. Standardized testing is a test or tests that require all students to answer the same questions in a certain amount of time all the same way. The questions do not have to be high stakes tests, time limited, or multiple choice.
In fact, according to many researches we can find the reasons why these tests should become mandatory. Actually, Standardized tests can give a relatively accurate measurement for students when entering college. Moreover, these tests test different kinds of skills which will make professors change the way they teach in a way that will help their students excel in their tests which will eventually result in improving education. In addition, standardized tests can help show the weaknesses students’ have which will help teachers determine how to teach their material in a way that enhances students’ understanding. In fact, according to Diane Ravitch, who is a Research Professor of Education at New York University, “ In the past few years, we have seen the enormous benefits that flow to disadvantaged students because of the information provided by state tests.
These tests used to not determine someone's future, but for every year that goes by, these standardized tests keep getting more difficult for the average student to take. It is defining who students are and that is not what these tests should be scored on. The idea of these tests are being made to select students in a faster, easier scoring area. Thousands of students take these tests every year to determine what college or university they will go to, and for public schools, it determines whether or not they will pass their grade they have been in. These standardized testing like the SAT or ACT, make it easier to judge a student.
Originally students had no goal to work towards and standardized testing is used for everything in today's world. Standardized tests are also a way for the school and the state to measure how well a teacher can teach. Tests compose of the majority of the students' grades affecting their GPA, and their future in the long run. However, standardized testing in schools is about how to take a test and get the single answer right while in many subjects there is a possibility of being many answers. A students' future is not dependent on what they know and learned anymore.
To fix the problem that standardized testing has started, there should be something other than testing to focus on. While testing can be beneficial in some ways, it is way too much of a focus in education today. Critical thinking should be focused on more in schools rather than testing, because it will prepare students for future problems. Critical thinking is more about the process used to find the answer rather than the answer itself. Standardized testing has become a problem because it causes students to memorize things rather than use a process to find an answer.