As Michelle Obama once declared, “If my future was determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn’t be here. I guarantee you that.” The performance of a school’s organization is based off of the results of standardized tests taken by students (Walberg). Standardized tests are a guide to the board of education on how a school can improve its curriculum in a way that is most beneficial to students (Walberg). “The scores of standardized tests are not the same as student achievement” (Harris).
Standardized testing is usually used to compare the performance of individuals in a relative manner. Many teachers and professors use standardized testing as a fair-minded way of grading a student, since computerized scoring removes any kind of bias and subjective assessments that could occur between a teacher and student. This particular topic should be very important to consider to not only educators, but to the student and their families as well. Students often say, “I am just not good at
What does a new grading system mean for students? Great success or prominent failure? Most teachers have strayed away from the typical grading system which focused on homework, quizzes, and tests. Instead, students are given a long term assignment and must produce an oral presentation. I believe that these new requirements of students are setting the students up for failure in the long run.
Students in Massachusetts should have to pass a statewide standardized test before graduating from high school because these tests prepare students for life beyond school, demonstrate students’ skills to college admissions boards, and improve the quality of education in school districts. Statewide standardized tests prepare students for the challenges of life outside school. First, these exams put undergraduates in uncomfortable situations by testing their knowledge of certain topics in different
A local teacher said “some principles like standardized test because they can make they’re school look good which equals more money. Most teachers don’t like standardized tests because it makes them have to teach to the test instead of teaching the curriculum. It also puts a lot of pressure on the teachers because in some states they’re tests scores decide on how much they get paid, if they get to say in that grade level, or if they get moved to a different grade level because their scores were better for that grade level” (source 1). A teacher that teaches at a local school said “the state testing I had used for much of my career was severely flawed (STAR) I did
This would help students know what they need to know about the tests and how to pass them and get into a good college. However, they have no alternative to the assessments. The College Board who administers tests like
When we were little, some of our parents read us The Ugly Duckilng. Others read us Harry Potter, the Bible, folk tales, and various moter hen stories. We were captivated by the fascinating images woven for us by fanciful tales and tellings of heros. Reading captivated us and took us to far away landst hat spilled out into the real world, expressed by personality traits, fashion choices, and career paths. Humans were not made to be the same, we were meant to encapture our own individuality and express ourselves in the ways that make us feel satisfied and free.
The purpose of standardized testing is to inform decisions to be made about educational institutions. A student needs to be tested by the demonstration of the course to be able to move forward. Major facts about standardized test are that the test has a positive effect on students achievements, a lot of practice will prepare the students and increase scores. Parents approve the high school students to take the standardized test. The older students in high school don 't care for the test because it doesn 't affect their grades.
(FairTest). Standardized tests do not allow students to think creatively and encourages teachers to teach to a constricted curriculum instead of more depth of knowledge. Most students are able to achieve a proficient score to meet requirements, but for some it has become a hurdle that has kept them from achieving their diploma. Some at risk students feel overwhelmed and defeated and choose to drop out of high school without receiving a diploma. Trying to be meet a “standardized” test score now limits these students in achieving their full academic potential and may limit their career
Teachers seem to be the most affected by the need for students to score well on their assessments. This is true due to our school system today which has forced many into a rigid teaching guideline that is meant to prepare students for their big test that will ultimately reflect upon themselves as well as the students. This problem distracts from the teacher’s wishes and wants for their students curriculum. This does not even mention the large class portions taken up by test prep and test taking tips that distract from meaningful learning, making for more problems than a test would solve. This just goes to show once more that standardized testing is not the way to go under our current
Does Standardized Test Define You As A Person? School isn’t about learning anymore it’s about teaching us to pass a test! To expect the average student to manage their already challenging schedule while simultaneously studying for the ACT or SAT is unrealistic and unfair. American students are spending most of their school hours preparing for standardized tests rather than learning quality stuff. Some American schools test over every subject putting even more pressure students.
I personally have experienced “teaching to the test” with taking Advanced Placement tests where teachers teach the test and not the information. Headden shows her despite of teaching to the test with her description of what is lost when teachers solely focus on the test and its results (A12). Her list includes: “vocabulary” “character”, and “high-order thinking” (Headden A12). I personally have experienced this with taking Advanced Placement tests where
Arne Duncan, who is the secretary of education has stated his own opinion: “I 'm as concerned as any parent or teacher about over-testing and teaching to the test. But I 'm equally concerned about kids slipping through the cracks if we aren 't keeping track of their progress and holding adults accountable for helping them learn.” (Duncan) There is now a case of Test Anxiety which is a psychological condition where a student experiences an immense amount of distress, which can inhibit the ability to learn and can also hurt their test performance. Many students have test anxiety and it becoming more prevalent because the test are becoming more and more important to graduate or to get into college. Also when a student receives a low score, this cause the student to feel demotivated and it discourages them from trying harder.
There is also a fear that the students will not comprehend the English language as well as the native English speakers because teachers are just teaching to the test. For the schools interviewed the majority said that they had to increase the amount of English instruction that the students received a day to help with the language proficiency that is on the tests. One size does not fit all, especially when it comes down to ELLs. It is hard from ELLs to be completely knowledgeable in one language when both are equally important for them. However, with the standardized tests that have a great amount of accountability towards both the school and the student, it is
Unfortunately, untested areas, are becoming less and less a part of the school, especially under the pressure of the No Child Left Behind Act. The NCLB is an act that closes the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice so that no child is left behind. The act called for one hundred percent of students to be proficient in both reading and math in states given tests (P. Harris, Smith, and J. Harris). The No Child Left Behind Act’s use of the standardized testing negatively affects schools by pressuring them to change the curriculum, to cheat to meet better scores, and to make teachers and students face many drawbacks. NCLB is referred to as “the nation’s report card” because it is the only measure of student achievement given to a sampling of students around the