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Arguments Against Standardized Testing

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Have you ever thought of what our education system would be like without standardized testing? Henry Chuancy and Wilbur Bender invented standardized testing, the SAT specifically, in order to identify the gifted and talented students (Tozer, 2002, p.231). The Early Cold War had just begun and The United States believed the key to winning it was detecting the gifted and talented students and grouping them so they could excel above the rest (Tozer, 2002, p.231). In this paper, I will argue that standardized testing is needed in our education system. As stressful as standardized testing can be, I believe it is a crucial part of today’s education system and allows students to be measured by intelligence. In this paper, I will be illustrating the …show more content…

Children are being hurt today because they're passing the tests, and the tests are not recognizing that they cannot do what they need to do." (Merrow, 2001). For instance, if a student continually struggles on the math portion of the standardized test, he or she will know where they need extra assistance. On the other hand, if a student is continually scoring high in certain areas or all areas, they are probably not being challenged; consequently, they are not reaching their full potential. Standardized tests gives insight as to where a student stands compared to the rest of the nation. They cannot be argued that one student’s test was easier than another’s, because they are all the same, which provides equal circumstances to all students. Parents also play a huge role in the education system and deserve to know where their child stands, so they can obtain assistance for them if needed (Procon.org, …show more content…

Therefore, it does not represent their intelligence because a student’s performance can range from day to day (Procon.org, 2014). Two major external factors that are not taken into consideration are the students testing ability and testing anxiety (Procon.org, 2014). For example, a student may perform poorly on the annual standardized test because he or she has trouble concentrating for long periods of time, not because he or she did not understand the material. Another external factor would be a student near you has caught a cold and cannot stop coughing; as distracting as that is, there is nothing you nor the teacher can do about it. Although the tests are “standardized” so every aspect should be the same for all students, it is impossible to eliminate all external

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804 Words | 4 Pages

All students dread one thing when it comes to school - testing. Standardized test are the main focus in our school systems instead of actually gaining knowledge at the end of the year. As a mother, Michelle Rhee, understands the lack of attention given on education as a whole instead of just waiting on the scores, but she still agrees on continuing with standardized test. Kristina Rizga opposes the opinion of Michelle Rhee as she does not believe standardized test truly measure the intelligence of a student. Kristina Rizga proves her stand against standardized test by utilizing solid use of argumentation.

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475 Words | 2 Pages

More often than not, children who fail these tests can not afford necessary materials to be able to get a quality educations. Like Kohn said, “guess who can afford better test preparation” (Kohn 601), just like poor families, there are poorly funded schools that also can not afford to give the students the education they need. These are obstacles that are frequently looked over by college admission counselors. “ The more that poor children fill in worksheets (in an effort to raise their test scores) the further they fall behind affluent kids who are more likely to get lessons that help them understand ideas” (Kohn 601). Even if there is a good effort to get these students prepared for the tests, it results in being behind on their schoolwork.

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872 Words | 4 Pages

Many 1800s famous poets, writers, and composers did not have the opportunity to be part of the standardized testing movement; however, they have become successful and memorialized. Our world, especially our country, has focused so much on the standardized tests that they have forgotten the main point to take out of our educational system. They have persuaded college admissions that there’s an easy way to figure out if a student will be successful in their program. Our country has also made it seem that our teachers should focus more on teaching main concepts to prepare their students for tests and not opening their brains in the world of true knowledge and education. Standardized testing is not the easy answer to success.

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890 Words | 4 Pages

The tests don’t take into consideration the fact that some kids don’t have it as good as others. Some kids might not want to try hard on the tests because they are too busy wondering where their next meal will come from. Based on a PISA test taken by 6,100 students, shows that the U.S wasn’t doing as good as we used to be. We dropped a few places on math but remained about the same in reading. The students that took this test could of been chosen randomly, and if they were, then they could of took a few students that are below the poverty line.

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1536 Words | 7 Pages

Even if the tests were unfair it would not be as much of a problem if the tests helped us at all. Despite the tests having been in place for over 50 years, their implementation has not increased America’s scores on an international level. But of course, some are going to disagree as people always do. Those who disagree say that the tests help to determine who will do well in college. An edited volume, Defending Standardized Testing, edited by Richard Phelps, was created on the basis that standardized tests have benefits for students and teachers.

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765 Words | 4 Pages

Standardized tests have played a role in schools across America since the 1800’s, only dwindling citizens of their education and self esteem. Everything a child has learned seems to be measured within a few hours of filling in bubbles. Countless hours of no sleep wondering how to prepare for a test that there is simply no way to prepare for, this is what students undergo year after year. It is time to face reality and take a stand against standardized testing, these tests do not approve students’ achievements, cost too much money, decrease the health of students, and schools spend too much time preparing for them. Do not approve students achievements

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1024 Words | 5 Pages

The stakes are higher for these two individual cases alone. Standardized graduation test also lead to higher dropout rates, and this is certainly not the goal of any hardworking student or parent. The ACT is a prime example of high-stake testing in the U.S. standardized test culture. In the survey of colleges the ACT score of an individual student was ranked as the second most important thing colleges looked at following grades. This shows that the vast future of any individual ranging from those who don't test well, to those not able to afford higher preparation rely on one miniscule test to define their opportunities in life.

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1374 Words | 6 Pages

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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539 Words | 3 Pages

Despite iGen’s protests, standardized testing proves beneficial while containing flaws. The overall feeling towards standardized testing in the youth are those of negative connotations. Entitled mindsets place the blame for less than satisfactory scores on elements outside of their control. Although the benefits, there are sometimes less than satisfactory aspects. “Most egregiously, [the No Child Left Behind Act] assumed than high test scores are synonymous with education… ‘good education cannot be achieved by a strategy of testing children’”

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560 Words | 3 Pages

Standardized testing Although many people believe that standardized testing is an accurate measure of student success and college readiness, standardized testing does more harm than good. Supporters of standardized testing believe that it motivates students to excel because it is a huge determining factor in their future. They also view it as a way to measure student achievements against other students on local and national levels. However, standardized testing should be eliminated because it leads to teaching to the test, which causes a loss of learning vital information, it has many negative emotional effects, and it isn’t an accurate representation of the student’s intelligence.

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792 Words | 4 Pages

Standardized testing should not determine academic success of oneself in that they shouldn’t harm students. On a day to day basis,

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1394 Words | 6 Pages

They think exempting children with disabilities and those who are minorities by using alternative tests is unfair to those students since it is creating two unequal systems and one has accountability and while the other doesn’t. While others could argue that Standardized tests are unfair and discriminatory against non-English speakers and student with special needs. So these tests are prohibiting students from being able to realize their full potential. These could lead to some bias since some students greatly benefit from standardized testing because it helps them reach their potential by asking questions they like and are familiar with, while others have difficulties regarding these tests because they have different talents they probably excel in that are not tested during these tests. A research conducted by Val Klenowski looks into different collection and analysis different empirical data in state schools and argues for a greater balance in assessment types.

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478 Words | 2 Pages

There is evidence to support that standardized tests are negatively affecting our students, lowering the quality of education, and leaving our students ill prepared for the “real world.” There is also evidence that standardized tests are not a good measurement of intelligence for everyone as discussed by Howard Gardner in his multiple intelligences theory. Evidence suggests that standardized tests should be reevaluated, changed, or completely eliminated. Participants I sent surveys (Appendix A) to 2 former standardized test takers.

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1191 Words | 5 Pages

Standardized testing has become one of the most popular types of testing in U.S. public schools to date. Students take numerous standardized tests throughout their childhood schooling. (Studies show that a typical student takes an average of 112 mandated standardized tests between Pre-K and 12th grade.) While standardized testing is one of the main procedures that Universities use to judge incoming students, it is not proven to be the most effective way to convey a student’s actual intelligence level. The U.S. should not focus so heavily on standardized testing because it is not a complete accurate measurement of a student’s intelligence.

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1890 Words | 8 Pages

“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” ("Voice Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.)

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