The average American student takes about 112 standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade (Strauss). A standardized test is any form of test that requires the student to answer the same selection of common questions in a consistent matter, which makes it possible to compare relative student performance. Standardized tests restrict creativity, waste time, and waste money. We should get rid of standardized tests in our school system. Standardized tests limit a student’s ability to express creativity.
World domination. It may simply begin through the depths of an evil scientist, but in reality, standardized tests are the culprit. Standardized Testing: two words that as soon as teachers, their students, and administrators hear this, they fret. The day where all outstanding abilities acquired throughout the year is assessed at once. All this joyful news of how standardized testing supposedly creates miracles of our knowledge, increasing student achievement, may be proven wrong or right, but that is not our deepest concerns.
Introduction: Standardized testing is often seen as a necessity when attempting to compare how much a student has grown education-wise throughout the year. Because of the pressure placed on students to do well on these tests, students often result in being immensely stressed and worried. This stress is felt by students around the world, but some countries apply extremely high amounts of pressure. In many Asian countries, students’ futures rely fully on the results of these tests which lead to instances of students taking alternate methods to cope with the pressure they face. This leads to the concern of how students in different countries manage to handle the onslaught of pressure which is brought on by their education.
Going Against the Standard According to Tim Walker, “Only 14% of parents say standardized testing is important in measuring school effectiveness” (Walker). A standardized test is a test that is given in a consistent or “standard” manner. Standardized tests are designed to have consistent questions, administration procedures, and scoring procedures. When a standardized test is administered, it is done so according to certain rules and specifications so that testing conditions are the same for all test takers. They often provide some type of “standard score” which can help interpret how far a child score ranges from the average student (Johnson).
Bless the Test: Supporting Standardized Testing I. Introduction Preparing young Americans for success starts in a classroom. According to the website Edglossary, “ a standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way” (“Standardized Testing”). This means that all students taking the standardized test have equal opportunity of achievement and promotion. The U.S. Department of Education mission is to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering education excellence and ensuring equal access” (“Progress in Our Schools”).
Standardized Testing: Inaccurate or Adequate? Standardized testing is a popular tool used by a lot of schools and universities to measure the qualifications of a candidate attempting to enter a program, university, or even a high school. These tests are designed in such a way that they offer a consistent reference to school and university administrators in order to determine whether the applicant has the necessary skills to succeed in future academic endeavors. These tests usually have multiple choice questions and the applicant is awarded a grade based on a point system. Some argue that standardized testing is an inaccurate tool and cannot really measure the intelligence or knowledge of a student.
Proponents see standardized testing as a way of making testing more efficient and effective by minimizing cost and increasing people’s accountability for their performance in the system. Opponents on the other hand argue that the systems has limitations based on its very nature on what can be tested and as a result of these standards needing to be met sacrifice some very important aspects of students education experience as well as force onto students and teachers a one size fits all model that has failed to deliver on its promises. After having reviewed all the evidence in detail it becomes clear to me that standardized testing is not an effective system for educating students and does more bad than good
Standardized testing is used in most schools and institutes. In standardized testing, all test takers are required to answer the same set of questions. Many people consider standardized testing as an objective way of grading a student. Even though most schools make students take standardized tests, it does not measure the knowledge of a student.Standardized tests are an unfair measure of students intelligence and academic performance; therefore, the tests should be changed drastically or abandoned. As someone who is going to college to become a teacher and will be involved in education in a few years, I will have to prepare my students for standardized testing.
There is evidence to support that standardized tests are negatively affecting our students, lowering the quality of education, and leaving our students ill prepared for the “real world.” There is also evidence that standardized tests are not a good measurement of intelligence for everyone as discussed by Howard Gardner in his multiple intelligences theory. Evidence suggests that standardized tests should be reevaluated, changed, or completely eliminated. Participants I sent surveys (Appendix A) to 2 former standardized test takers. The first survey I sent out was to a young white man around the age of 18 and 24; he currently works as a food runner and a cook at a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. He was born and raised in the United States and attended school in New Mexico and Texas.
Standardized testing is very common in the United States, and has been in the United States of America (US) for more than fifty years. In today’s society, standardized tests have become the norm. They are more pressure packed and strenuous than ever. Standardized testing used to only be used sparingly, but now every child from elementary school to a college graduate school must take these rigorous exams. Standardized tests can be very helpful when it comes to positive student achievement, equal content and comparison, and helps prepare you for college.