In Defense Of Standardized Testing

Portfolio based assessments are an alternative to standardized testing that would focus on the students' growth over time. This is accomplished by observing, the portfolio of each student and realizing how each student progressed through time. The article by Priscilla D. Huffman, “''Look What I Did!'' Why Portfolio-Based Assessment Works”, discuss what portfolio tests are and how exactly they can be beneficial to students. According to Huffman, "Portfolios are collections or samplings of information relating to each child’s developmental progress in an educational setting" (2). Therefore, Portfolio-based assessment can be used as a method to track each student’s progress. In addition, this will not only track each student progress each year,

Standardized tests have been part of the United States education system for many years. The article written by James Aycock, “Teacher Voice: In Defense of Standardized Testing”, takes the unpopular stance of defending standardized testing. Initially Aycock talks about why schools need to take the assessments and brings this objection to portfolio testing. He accomplishes this by looking at what school would be like and the problems they face due to the lack of assessments. He comments on the fact that without assessments, no one would be able to tell with the kids know and what they don’t know. Furthermore, he mentions how assessments also provide data to teachers. Teachers would be able to examine their teaching style and improve on what is working for their students for better learning. As Aycock put it, “testing lets us know what kids know and can do, which helps us teach them better” (1). This future elaborates on his point regarding for some kind of testing to insure that students are learning what they are supposed to be

They would raise the argument that 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 does not. And according to this argument Portfolio testing, which is unique for everyone, will not have any accountability. But, an argument could also be made regarding how standardized tests are unfair and discriminatory against non-English speakers and student with special needs. Since these tests are prohibiting students from being able to realize their full potential. This could lead to some bias since some students greatly benefit from standardized testing because it helps them reach their potential. This is due to the fact that these tests ask questions they like and are familiar with, while others have difficulties regarding these tests because they have different talents. They have the potential to excel in subjects that are not tested during these tests. A research conducted by Val Klenowski by looking into different collection and analysis different empirical data in state schools and argues and comparing test results among different minorities, reasons for a greater balance in assessment types (450). The research has shown that