ipl-logo

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

1341 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How has standardized testing been unreliable

Standardized Tests: It’s Time for Them to Go
After months of standardized prep work and sitting in silence, Julia was excited to see how she performed on the SATs. Even though she had tried her hardest, she read “below the benchmark” for her age group. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for school, she thought. Unfortunately, this situation is normal as standardized tests have been used for decades to assess student’s academic achievements. The number of standardized tests students take is greater than ever and that comes with a tremendous amount of stress and preparation. Despite the fact that standardized test hold teachers and students accountable, standardized tests should be limited because they are not beneficial for students.
Some people believe that standardized tests hold teachers accountable …show more content…

These people argue that standardized tests are objective and reliable for checking on students’ educational development; in addition, standardized tests serve as a guideline for what students need. The Office of Work/Life claims that “Standardized tests provide teachers with guidance for what and when something needs to be taught” (Columbia University). As a result, they make it easy to check student’s progress and make sure they’re getting the knowledge they need. Although teachers may be held accountable, Retired teacher, Marion Brady, emphasizes that “minimal to no useful feedback” is given (The complete list). Results from standardized tests are given as numbers, not feedback. Therefore, teachers may be guided on what to teach leading up to the tests, but the tests don’t provide guidance on how to improve a student’s problem areas. Furthermore, the Office of Work/Life at Columbia University notes that the “Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) only focuses on whether a student is proficient at the time of testing” (Columbia University). While teachers are held accountable for

Show More
Related

Declaration Of Independence Literary Analysis

1081 Words | 5 Pages

What to do about America (A Literary Analysis on the Declaration of Independence) A lot in the world has changed since America became a brand new country, with very little political experience, and even less support from neighboring countries. Now, the United States of America is one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world, and it’s all because a small group of men decided to speak out and declare independence from Great Britain. While five people helped put together the document, Thomas Jefferson is the true author of the Declaration of Independence and had a very strict idea of the America that should be.

Read More

Is Standardized Testing Bad

1212 Words | 5 Pages

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

Read More

Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

1229 Words | 5 Pages

Standard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.

Read More

Essay On Get Rid Of Standardized Testing

721 Words | 3 Pages

Although some might say standardized tests are useful metrics for teacher evaluations, the teachers can not make students do well on a test. Standardized testing has a stigma that if one does not do well on the tests then their future will be at stake and they will probably not do well in life. This is simply not true, taking one moment, one day, one hour of someone's life and making them take a test will not show you how well a student will do in the future. The tests

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing Essay

1059 Words | 5 Pages

Put simply, standardized tests are ones that require all test takers to answer the same questions, are scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, in order to compare the relative performance of individuals or groups of students, and are primarily associated with a large scale (Standardized). While the idea of the tests may be simple to understand, the controversy surrounding the issue becomes increasingly complex as politicians, business people, and teachers continue to debate the topic. For the purpose of this paper, two academic articles were chosen to display both sides of the

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

501 Words | 3 Pages

“Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” This quotation by Diane Ravitch nearly perfectly describes the ludicrosity of modern standardized tests. Students may achieve elite grades, volunteer, and participate in a variety of extracurriculars throughout high school, but all of these elements may be for naught if their ACT or SAT score is deemed unsatisfactory. The college application process is demanding enough without the added burden of inessential and unfair standardized tests. The ACT and SAT may put unnecessary stress on high schoolers, because they are an unfair representation of intelligence and education and are a large element of the college admission process.

Read More

Cons Of Standardized Testing Essay

722 Words | 3 Pages

Spark Admissions explains the advantages and disabilities of standardized tests. Schools should continue to use standardized testing because it gives inclusive opportunities, it gets students ready for future testing, and shows progress. Schools should continue to use standardized testing because it gives inclusive support. “Standardized tests can give students from under-performing high schools a chance to prove that they have mastered ample academic material despite their circumstances” (8). Standardized testing gives kids a chance to show how talented they are in that subject without their

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

866 Words | 4 Pages

“Daniel Kortez puts it, scores on a Standardized Test “usually do not provide a direct and complete measure of educational achievement. ”(Harris). Teachers fail to teach the material that students need to know to do well, leading to inaccurate test scores. In schools, students were reportedly “superficially engaged if they just copied down answers, guessed a lot, and skipped the hard parts.” (Harris).

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

809 Words | 4 Pages

Standardized testing has been used in the United States since the late 1800s to test students in the subjects they’ve been studying for an entire year and ultimately decide if they pass or fail the year based on the results of these tests. After the No Child left Behind Act the use of the standardized tests increased, but have only negatively affected students in their learning. Backlashes to standardized testing has increased from students, teachers, and parents who deem these tests useless and unnecessary to a child’s education since students are only “taught to test.” Standardized tests should be removed as they offer students no life skills, they cause stress to students and teachers, and they only benefit the multibillion dollar companies distributing these tests. While many people are against standardized tests, many individuals still support these tests.

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

501 Words | 3 Pages

Standardized testing is a topic that is controversial among educators, the government, and practically everyone who has a child or is a student. Some people believe that standardized testing is the best way to gather a consensus on how students are performing. Others believe that testing is necessary, but it should not be the main focus in the classroom. It is difficult to gage on whether teaching quality is affected by these tests, because teaching happens behind closed doors, and teachers are not observed daily.

Read More

Arguments Against Standardized Testing

1247 Words | 5 Pages

Standardized tests evaluate individuals on a limited set of abilities while adding in the factor of time. “While universities anticipate students to have vast understandings and abilities across a variety of topics as well as to be able to show improvement in topics over time” (Koretz, 2017). The concept of showing academic growth over time can be seen with GPA, whereas the ACT and SAT is a timed test that evaluates students' knowledge at that current moment. In addition to assigning students a set amount of time to complete the exam, these tests are not accessible to everyone.

Read More

Standardized Testing Persuasive Essay

712 Words | 3 Pages

They began to teach students for the test, instead of understanding the concepts. I, in personal experience, study my subjects to pass the tests and receive a good grade, not to fully understand the concepts. Good learning techniques are now being replaced with repetition and teaching how to proficiently ace the test. In 2007, a study at the University of Maryland found that teachers felt that they needed to “teach the test” since they could receive consequences if they failed to get over the Adequate Yearly Process. Standardized testing showed no signs of students improving as well.

Read More

Why Is Standardized Testing Wrong

1648 Words | 7 Pages

“Teachers reported delivering better lessons because they could focus their preparation on how to teach, not what not to teach.” Wrote Craig Hochbein and Marty Pollio in an article entitled, “Making grades more meaningful.” While time is saved when teachers have a curriculum to follow, the curriculum is focused on the best way to take a test, and how to score well, rather than actually learning the content. Standardized tests take time out of teacher’s busy schedule as well as the students. They should be able to teach what they want and help the students grew as people and find styles that fit them best, not conform to a standard set by a few people.

Read More

Essay On Limiting Standardized Testing

573 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Standardized Testing In Public Schools

1191 Words | 5 Pages

School’s are using standardized testing for the wrong reason. “A standardized test is any examination that’s administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. There are two major kinds of standardized tests: aptitude tests and achievement tests” (Popham, 1999). The most common examples of aptitude tests are the SAT and the

Read More

More about Arguments Against Standardized Testing

Related Topics

Open Document