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Arguments Against Standardized Testing

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Einstein once said: "…if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” In his analogy, the fish is at an unfair disadvantage due to its absence of basic task requirements such as lungs and extremities. It is being judged on a standard that in incapable of measuring the abilities of a fish. This quote has a meaning that is applicable to measuring the abilities of high school students. A major factor in a student’s future is his or hers ability to perform well on arbitrary standardized tests. This is the “tree” they must climb in order to achieve future success. Although standardized tests like the SAT have been a way of gauging a student’s ability to learn and retain information for years, they are an inaccurate measurement. Being created over 100 years ago, reconsidering the policy of issuing the SATs is crucial.
The first standardized test in America was issued in 1901, after being created by the College Entrance Examination Board. …show more content…

Despite its respectable attempt, it is an incredibly flawed method. Standardized tests like the SAT serve one purpose: to compare every student on the same scale on a generic series of questions in order to predict how well a student will perform in college. It disregards a student’s past academic achievements, as well as many other factors that will weigh into a student’s performance. According to Gerald Bracey, a writer from Washington Post as well as a critic of the national education policy, a student’s execution in college cannot be determined by a standardized test because these tests do not assess one’s “creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation… [or] self-discipline,” (Strauss,

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