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Arguments Against Standardized Testing

1077 Words5 Pages

Jude Samman
Miss Z.
English 10, 3-4
February 10, 2016

Standardized Testing Many children and young adults enjoy learning. However, where is the joy in learning when they constantly have to stare down at a blank bubble sheet and answer questions. These questions have never appeared to them in their entire year while schooling and anxiety overcomes them. they answer random questions because they refuse to care anymore about the test, and three months later they receive their scores and they become distraught over them and think they are dumb. Standardized testing is completely useless …show more content…

(C1) Standardized testing should not be used to judge the quality of education. (D1) Despite all of the flaws in all standardized tests, NCLB and other related state and federal policies have pressured schools to use tests to measure students learning, achievement gaps, and teacher quality, which can affect performance of the test because of the pressure inflicted on students and teachers (How Standardized Testing Damages Education 1). (W1)Therefore, standardized testing should not be used to measure performance. (C2) State misses standardized tests for the wrong reasons. (D2) According to a study conducted by Gerald W Bracey, the tests that allegedly measure critical thinking do not measure it correctly. He said that standardized tests do not measure creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, and integrity (Procon 2). (W2)All in all, student tests measure the wrong material.(C3) Standardized testing are unreliable when it comes to measuring student accuracy in their integrity. (D3) A 2001 study found that 50%-80% of year-over-year test score improvements were temporary because of fluctuations that had nothing to do with long term changes in learning (ProCon 3). (W3) Thus, standardized …show more content…

(C1) Tests can cause stress in most students because of the amount of studying and memorization they must do. (D1) On Mar. 14, 2002, the Sacramento Bee reported that "test-related jitters, especially among young students, are so common that the Stanford-9 exam comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in case a student vomits on it." (Scholastic 1) (W1) As a result, we should not include standardized testing in the for this reason. (C2) Older students in highschool and college do not take standardized testing very seriously, (D2) An English teacher at New Mexico Valley High School said in August 2004 that many juniors just "had fun" with the tests, making patterns when filling in the answer bubbles (What's so Bad about Teaching to the Test? GreatKids). (W2) In any case, many students do not take these tests very seriously. (C3) Children can obsess over testing that it may take their childhood away from them. (D1) Mar. 2009 research from the Alliance for Childhood showed "time for play in most public kindergartens has dwindled to the vanishing point, replaced by lengthy lessons and standardized testing (Washington Post 2). (W3) Furthermore, children are being robbed of their childhoods by standardized testing, which is why this can lead to stress and altered moods. (CS) Hence, all standardized testing should be removed from school because they cause pressure, stress, and

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