Negatives Of Standardized Testing

The use of standardized testing hinders students from reaching a higher form of education. This generation has to reach for some type of higher education so that they can have a beneficial life economically. More jobs are requiring people to have a college degree, and a person is more likely to get hired if they had a higher education. But some places try to hinder students from reaching this goal by giving out tests that students are required to take just to graduate, for example, regents exams. Even universities us these tests (ex. ACT and SAT) to determine if a person is worthy enough to attend their school. Students are pushed to reach major heights, and have to go through hurdles just to see if the school will even accept them.

The “No

The government required testing for students in grades 3-5, 6-8, and 10-12 to show how well the school is teaching the students. Pressuring schools to do this has negative consequences such as, teachers giving students information so they can do well on test and not have any reprimand from the state while they are just holding their students back and not giving the information they need to do more in life. With these tests not promoting any knowledge or skill, how does the school think that the students will try and reach out to a higher education? Also, no test is perfect enough to know the level of education a person has; there is more to a person than their knowledge that makes the person who they are, not some score on a test. These test are also biased with the state requiring reports from, “specific student subgroups, including low-income students,

Around tenth grade, students are pushed to take the PSAT to try and see their education level and how much information they have retained from their high school years. Most students use this as a practice for heavily required exams, the SAT and ACT. Once students are able to have an opportunity to take these test, they already have a negative outlook on what to expect out of it. Bob Schaffer goes in on the SAT, and tells about how it’s supposed to be a readiness test for college but doesn’t live up to that potential. He says, “An admissions exam is supposed to predict college performance accurately and fairly while resisting high-priced coaching manipulation. The SAT has long fallen far short of these goals.” Students and families pay thousands of dollars for these exams, tutors, and helping aids only to come out with a score below the college readiness level. A senior from Newton High School spoke about her experience and stated that, “The ACT made me feel inferior and give up trying because I tried so hard in school, but none of my hard worked paid off because of how low my score was. To graduate and not have a score that’s to a college’s a specific standard makes me feel that I tried all these years and it’s going to mean nothing to the school’s I want to go to,”(Sanchez). With all the testing pushed by the government