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Standardized testing in education
Standardized testing in education
Does standardized testing have negative effects on education
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This author agrees with President Obama saying that their are two many standardized test, which does not leave enough time for students to learn what they need to graduate. He goes one to Quote President Obama saying “Learning is about so much more than just filling in the right bubble,” the president said. “So we’re going to work with states, school districts, teachers, and parents to make sure that we’re not obsessing about testing … to make sure that our kids are enjoying learning, that our teachers are able to operate with creativity, to make sure we are preparing our kids for a lifetime of
They argue that the fact that the results of this test can be seen by all parties involved in the education system allows for accountability on the parts of all involved if test results are not where they should be. They argue that this helps educators by ensuring that all, fourth graders for instance, are being taught the same material and are being tested with the same standardized test across the country. This is seen as being extremely beneficial in that it allows for specific districts and school to make the required adjustments in any area that they fall short off versus the national results. It is also seen by these proponents as helping teachers minimize time wasted trying to put together their curriculum by giving them guidance on what to teach allowing them to focus on educating the children under their
Barack Obama believes everyone should be able to receive free college, in response Dr. Dustin Swanger wrote an article titled Free Community College Education for all. In the article Dr. Dustin disagrees with president’s Obama’s intention to give everyone a free community college education. Their many people who decide not to go to college because it’s to expensive, especially if you don’t receive help from financial aid. President Obama want’s to try and provide community college for everyone.
President Obama 's speech to school children should go to school because it can benefit their future uses rhetorical appeals to help persuade the readers and schoolchildren. One example of a rhetorical appeal that Obama used to persuade his reader was pathos. Pathos can help persuade a claim because it can cause emotions in the reader and make them feel that they can do something about it. Obama uses is when he states that, “I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him longer-hundreds of extra hours- to do his school work.
Standard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.
In the article "Standardized testing hits a nerve" by Katherine Reynolds Lewis, the author discussing the effects and issues regarding standardized testing. Over the years, standardized testing has increased tremendously. This cost money and time to conduct efficiently. Health problems have arisen due to mandatory testing. This includes headaches, stress, and getting very little sleep.
He argues that "…too much emphasis is placed on standardized tests, and not much is being done to develop teachers in providing a balanced teaching and learning experience for learners" (139). Cordeur backs up his statement by saying that teachers are being taught to teach the test, which leads to inflated test scores (139). However, while test scores have risen, he believes that educational standards have decreased (139). The article then takes a closer look at standardized testing specifically in America, and Cordeur explains that many teachers have abandoned teaching material outside of the test material due to pressure from the District of Education and other outside sources to increase their scores (142). What standardized test scores are not measuring, and therefore what the teachers are not teaching, are the educational standards mentioned.
Going Against the Standard According to Tim Walker, “Only 14% of parents say standardized testing is important in measuring school effectiveness” (Walker). A standardized test is a test that is given in a consistent or “standard” manner. Standardized tests are designed to have consistent questions, administration procedures, and scoring procedures. When a standardized test is administered, it is done so according to certain rules and specifications so that testing conditions are the same for all test takers. They often provide some type of “standard score” which can help interpret how far a child score ranges from the average student (Johnson).
Obama Administration Calls for Limits on Testing in Schools On Saturday, the Obama administration declared that the push for testing in the nation’s public schools had gone too far, and urged schools to step back and make exams less onerous and more purposeful. Specifically, the administration called for a cap on assessment so that no child would spend more than 2 percent of classroom instruction time taking tests. A survey, also released Saturday, found that students in the nation’s big-city schools will take, on average, about 112 mandatory standardized tests between prekindergarten and high school graduation, adding up to eight tests a year. In eighth grade, when tests fall most heavily, they consume an average of 20 to 25 hours, or 2.3 percent of school time.
It is a known fact that standardized tests are needed. Even with their flaws, they provide a baseline for counties, states and the country as a whole to compare students and they are a crucial part of college admissions. They cannot be taken away. But the extent of their influence in a student’s education should be limited. Limiting the amount of tests given or creating a system in which the tests are not the main component that shows the level of a student’s intelligence can result in a better school experience for students, teachers and parents.
Even Obama came out to say that, "learning is about so much more than filling in the right bubble" and that it "takes the joy out of teaching and learning". In other words, standardized testing doesn't belong in learning. Here are some reasons why.
According to Herbert J. Walberg, a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and a member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education, “Standardized tests fairly and comprehensively measure student performance, thus directly benefiting students while holding teachers accountable. Students who study for a standardized test are more likely to complete their homework and watch less television than their peers”(Walberg). According to Herbert J. Walberg, a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and a member of the Koret Task Force on K-12 Education, “Thus, standardized test-taking develops habits that help students not only with the test but throughout life. While some teachers oppose standardized tests, most of their objections can be overcome through better test design and professional development
Standardized Testing It has been a part of schooling since the seventh century, and it is used today to find out where students are in their learning. Standardized testing has first started in the U.S. in 1965 enacted by Lyndon Johnson. Recently, it has encountered some controversy, because it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Standardized testing has the ability to hold back students, fire teachers, shut down schools, increase pay, and change a students life forever.
Juliet, with her pencil in hand, is walking into the classroom reviewing all the information she has been studying diligently for the past month. Nerves bubble in her stomach; this test will determine her future. Standardized testing often determines if one passes a grade, or if the student is “smart enough” to take advanced classes. Tests are administered multiple times a year to evaluate students’ achievements and the performance of their schools. According to Barner and Slate, “U.S. education has steadily progressed toward a more standardized testing and one-size-fits-all approach to prepare students for life after K-12” (qtd. in Scogin et al. 42).
Students are disciplined and they are willing to do their homework for hours. These attentions on the tests are really a big issue in the American education system, but by making the tests fewer importance students all over America will have the chance to succeed better in life no matter the social status the family might have. In addition, with so much focus on these tests and the preparation on the test schools are teaching the students how to do the tests rather than increasing their creativity. The United States has one traditional belief and value, which
