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Disadvantages Of Standardized Testing In The United States

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Over two hundred parents claim to not let a student go through standardized testing. The earliest records of standardized testing come from China, for the subjects of philosophy and poetry. America “copied” the European education system. In the early 20th century, immigrants took “standardized tests”. To determine possible career and where each person stood socially. Testing is around 115 years old; it started being taken seriously in academics in the early 1900s for the United States. Although it seems minor, standardized testing should not be a thing in any type of school because it causes physical and mental stress for students and teachers, causes a major financial strain in many schools, and takes time to complete and prepare for. Standardized …show more content…

The poorer schools have to cut the electives that the students enjoy just for a test that claims a minor's intelligence level. Meanwhile the richer schools have electives, amazing sports teams, and even pay more money for more help on majors to prepare for the test. It is unfair that not every school gets the same preparation; some city schools do not get as much time which puts that school at a major disadvantage compared to the others. Almost every school spends money to pay for something unnecessary, when the money could go to much more important projects throughout the school. “Standardized-testing regimens cost that states some $1.7 billion a year overall, or a quarter of 1 percent of the total K-12 spending in the United States, according to a new report on assessment finances” (Ujifusa). The money used for the tests could go towards sports, clubs, the quality of the education that the students are receiving, and even the school itself. Some schools in states other than Ohio got the memo and decided opt every student in the school out of standardized testing, which brought many benefits to the school and its students. The Curriculum Review states that “Standardized-testing will go by the wayside in Idaho public schools this fall, at a savings of $500,000.” Schools in Idaho saved money by the students not taking standardized tests, and that the money helped the school's academic clubs, electives, sports teams, …show more content…

Educators spend months preparing minors for standardized tests, in hopes that every student passes for the good reflection the teachers get to enjoy once the scores are released. “Time given to standardized tests includes practice tests, field tests, prep days, Saturday school, and workbooks for homework” (Kamenetz). Schools spend over 40 hours preparing students for standardized tests each year starting in third grade. Some schools even have workbooks, where students do homework out of the book that covers most of what will appear on the tests. Starting around first grade, young children start to prepare for standardized tests that are two years away. Time and preparation is “needed” for the younger grades. “Even though first-grade students would not be made to take any standardized tests until the third grade, they would spend the next two years practicing and preparing for the test” (Malott, Marie, and Curry). Not all of the time will be used to “teach to the test.” Students will gradually work towards the test, but teaching the young kids all the information needed will take time, slower students may need more time than others. Time is nearly everything when it comes to standardized testing. “Chiquikta Fountain changed her mind about testing when her middle school son could not write his name in cursive.

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Introduction Standardized tests may be used for a wide variety of educational purposes. For example, they may be used to determine a young child’s readiness for kindergarten, identify students who need special-education services or specialized academic support, place students in different academic programs or course levels, or award diplomas and other educational certificates. Thesis Statement Standardized tests should not be eliminated completely, but should rather be evaluated in addition to other factors such as grades, extracurricular activities, and volunteer hours. This would take pressure off of students during standardized tests, allow colleges to see how well-rounded the students are, and give students who are better in other areas

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However, there are other forms of standardized testing. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) this is a test of achievement from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Another form of tests are the PSAT, which is mainly the preliminary of the SAT test. “52% of teachers surveyed that they spend too much time on testing and test-prep” (Walker). Yet there are a few purposes of these tests, students would not be taking these tests if there were no

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Resolved: On balance, standardized testing is beneficial to K-12 education in the United States. Attention getter: Last year, districts in Philadelphia had a $0 budget for books. At the same time, a quarter of a percent of America’s education budget, several billions of dollars, was spent on standardized testing.

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“Why should wealthy parents be able to opt out of the over testing by sending their children to private schools while disadvantaged students are forced to exist in a high-stakes, over tested climate for the sake of producing data that confirm what everyone already knows: Their schools lack the needed supports. (Dianis)” This first bias puts those who were born into less wealthier families immediately at the disadvantage as they are exposed to far more testing. Another bias is that depending on which school a student attends, their score could be greatly affected. The tests are not a matter of intelligence, but a matter of what is specifically taught within the school systems to pass the test.

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Any examination that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner is considered a Standardized Test (Popham). According to the Washington Post, the average public school student takes about eight tests per year. Taking these eight tests eats up about 20-25 hours of class time each year. The results from the tests are collected and compared. Results can be used to determine promotions, evaluate student needs and compare the student’s abilities.

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There needs to be a better use for this money. Not only are these tests a waste of money, but they’re also a waste of time. Standardized tests take between 20 to 25 hours out of the school year, but the amount of time that students spend studying for them is immeasurable. Students do not learn anything during the testing process. Most students already struggle finding time to do homework, and they have to study for standardized tests on top of their already busy lives.

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People go to different kinds of schools from public to private based on a variety of factors. They all get different educations and learn using a variety of methods, but there is one thing that all these students have in common: standardized tests. Between Pre-k and the end of highschool, an average student takes 112 mandated standardized tests. Most of you probably don’t like these tests- I know I don’t.

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No matter where students go to school or what kind of curriculum they are expected to follow, it is expected for them to be tested, and to test well, on generalized materials that are in the basic subjects, math, english, reading and science. All of these tests, are very common throughout the United States and are mostly used in measuring how a student will perform in their academics. All of these test vary in their states and in all grade levels. These students have been taking these tests for as long as they can remember. Standardized testing used to begin when the students are about in third grade, but now we see kids even as young as kindergarten, some of which don't even know their first names, taking standardized test.

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When students could be learning meaningful information, teachers are using up that time and giving them tests and exams. Although, we want to be blaming teachers, states and schools are supposed to give out mandatory tests. Who is to blame? According to washington article post, Valerie Strauss, says “The average student in America’s big-city public schools takes some 112 mandatory standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and the end of 12th grade — an average of about eight a year, the study says. ” The state is to blame.

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