Against Standardized Testing Essay

Mya Jensen

Mr. Garbe

English 102

11 April 2023

Test Stress In the past decade, stress in teens has been on the rise. Although many factors cause teens stress, one of the largest stressors is standardized testing. Stress caused by standardized testing can lead to many other negative impacts such as health problems, declining academic performance, and more. Recently, some alternatives to standardized testing have been put in place that work just as well, and some better than, standardized testing. Should we ban standardized testing in order to decrease stress among teens in the United States? Some believe that we should replace standardized testing with another form of testing. One reason is that standardized tests do not accurately show

All of the components of standardized testing lead to little discrimination and little room for error when grading. Since the elements of standardized testing are so precise, this proves the accuracy by definition: “the quality or state of being correct or precise” (Oxford Dictionary). Although some believe that standardized tests don’t accurately represent student knowledge, they are fundamentally designed to be equal for all

It does not account for the students who are very intelligent but poor test takers. According to Whitby Schools, “We view standardized testing data as not only another set of data points to assess student performance, but also as a means to help us reflect on our curriculum” (Nixon). Although this is an understandable statement, it is inaccurate to say standardized tests can be used to assess student performance. Many students are poor test takers and their true knowledge may not be reflected in their performance. Not only that, substandard test takers will not accurately display the effectiveness of the curriculum. Therefore, the argument that standardized testing helps pinpoint areas for improvement, is weak. It does not account for the students whose intelligence is poorly reflected due to their poor test-taking abilities. Nixon also said that “We can compare our students to their peers at other schools to determine what we’re doing well within our educational continuum.” Additionally, some students are extremely intelligent with poor test taking skills, while others are great test-takers. Thus, comparing students’ standardized test scores is not an efficient method to assess what needs to be improved upon. Another reason why some believe that standardized testing should stay is that standardized tests motivate students to learn. Some think that if there is an upcoming high-stakes test that it will motivate