Standardized Testing: Inaccurate or Adequate?
Standardized testing is a popular tool used by a lot of schools and universities to measure the qualifications of a candidate attempting to enter a program, university, or even a high school. These tests are designed in such a way that they offer a consistent reference to school and university administrators in order to determine whether the applicant has the necessary skills to succeed in future academic endeavors. These tests usually have multiple choice questions and the applicant is awarded a grade based on a point system. Some argue that standardized testing is an inaccurate tool and cannot really measure the intelligence or knowledge of a student. On the other hand, many also argue that these tests are considered an unbiased and objective method to measure a student’s academic ability; and one of the
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However, they still consider the practice to be the best academic tool at the disposal of educational institutions when searching for adequate candidates. A number of school district administrators argue that standardized tests are the best non-discriminatory and objective academic measurement tools that give everyone an equal chance at finding adequate placement. Michelle Rhee, a former Washington, DC school chancellor, argues that using alternative testing methods or exempting some students from standardized tests creates an unequal system that lacks accountability. Additionally, one popular sentiment is that standardized tests teach students the important skills they need to master for the to be able to achieve academically. According to a 2005 issue of the peer-reviewed Education Policy Analysis Archives, Minnesota school district administrators and teachers said that standardized testing has many positive impacts, those impacts include bettering curricula and elevating student