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Arguments Against Standardized Testing

1374 Words6 Pages

Kara Morgan
Instructor Jones
Eng 111
03 October 2017
Standardized Testing
Standardized testing is “any examination that’s administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner”(Popham). The history of standardized testing can be dated back as early as the 7th century in China. During this time period, civil service advancement was achieved through the scoring of written exams. However, standardized testing became a part of the educational system of the United States during the 19th century when immigration was occurring at a very high rate, as a means of identifying students’ abilities. This was an inaccurate measure at the time because the material taught in different countries varied from that of the United States. Standardized testing …show more content…

The creators of standardized tests often do not take into consideration that all students have not received the same quality of content due to a variation in teaching methods. For example, students who attend a private school may receive better instruction than those who attend a relatively low-income school. Standardized testing measures superficial thinking as opposed to critical thinking abilities. The format of standardized testing favors multiple choice rather than short response. Due to this format, students often become reliant on choosing the answer that appears obvious rather than truly evaluating the appropriate response.The goal of standardized testing is not to recognize those who are shallow thinkers. However, according to a study published in The Washington Post, “Studies of students of different ages have found a statistical association between students with high scores on standardized tests and relatively shallow …show more content…

For example, often times students can explain the quadratic formula, but cannot give a speech in front of their peers. Colleges often tend to describe a “perfect student” as one who is well rounded. If colleges are looking for a direct correlation of a student's achievements, is it necessary to use the SAT and ACT to measure their achievement? According to Alfie Kohn, Norm-referenced tests were created to allow less than half of those testing to respond correctly. This does not accurately determine the abilities of a student (Kohn). A student is defined as so much more than their test scores. Standardized tests cannot measure a student's aptitudes that set them apart from

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