Many Americans assume that the 12 years spent within school, is time dedicated to learning and preparing an individual for adulthood. Although true to a point, a majority of this time is actually spent preparing students for high stake standardized tests. For years a students is trained how to sit for hours at hand and answer questions that follow a strict formula on how to be answered in the ‘correct’ fashion. From a young age practice tests are taken, and hours spent with a teacher's aid on how to pass a test which can greatly influence the future of a young adult. This situation has led the public to question if America’s focus on standardized testing is helping or hurting the established educational system. Some believe that this large …show more content…
Americas focus on standardized testing to evaluate its students and teachers is not helping the educational system. This focus does not create a well rounded adult who has motivation to learn, is ineffective for poorer schools and indorses unethical actions with both teachers and students. By evaluating students and teachers through the results of high stakes standardized testing, schools begin to neglect the creation of a well rounded student. Standardized testing does not measure nor aid in multiple aspects of a student's life. With standardizing testing being such a distraction, the learning environment as a whole declines. Unfortunately, “too many kids in schools are bored,” they are losing an important aspect of what is needed in a student's life: the motivation to learn (Layton). When missing such a vital piece to the puzzle that is their success in school, students are left with an already difficult gap in scoring well on a high stakes standardized test. Motivation is a driving factor that pushes a student to learn. When in school, if a student is unwilling to retain the information they must know to pass a very meticulously built test, they