Outline For Standardized Testing Essay

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I. Students average 20-25 hours a year taking standardized testing, according to a study completed by the Council of Great City Schools.
II. This testing is used for a variety of things, all of which affect the way we are educated.
III. Through my research on testing, I have found that the tests that we have all sat through are not as accurate as one may think.
IV. Standardized Testing is not effective nor reliable due to its inability to effectively measure a student’s intelligence or ability, the pressure it applies to both the student and the teacher, and its negative impact on teaching curriculum.
(To begin, let’s look at how testing gauges students)
Body
I. Standardized testing is not an accurate means to measure a student’s ability or …show more content…

The two intelligences that are taught in schools are logical/mathematical intelligence and verbal/linguistic intelligence.
3. The other five include spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal which are all incredibly important in order to function in today’s society.
II. The pressure that is applied by standardized testing is unhealthy to a learning environment.
a. Data from tests are usually used to rank schools and determine the amount of funding that is made available.
i. This ranking tends to segregate schools from the lower ranking ones ii. Lower ranking schools are deprived of the much needed additional funding that would raise its effectiveness iii. Low rankings or test scores can lead to the complete closing of the school.
b. One of the most influential factors that are considered by universities is standardized test scores.
i. Tests such as the ACT and SAT can be sole determining factors on whether or not one gets a merit scholarship. ii. This puts extreme pressure on a student to do well on one of the exams, because otherwise they will not have the opportunity to go to college. iii. Some colleges, such as University of Alabama in Hunstville, will pay all expenses with a noncompetitive merit scholarship that is based solely on ACT/SAT score and