1. Standardized tests are a reliable and objective way to measure student achievement. Multiple choice tests like the ACT and SAT are graded by machines and not subject to bias or subjectivity. Having to rely on scores from teachers is not as reliable as the teachers have a vested interest in producing favorable results. 1. Standardized tests are an unreliable measure of a student’s performance. A study in 2001 by Brookings Institution showed that fifty to eighty percent of test score improvements were not permanent and were because of little changes that did not pertain to anything related to long term learning. Basically, students learned little tricks to help their scores, but did not truly master the skill to apply it critically.
2. High stakes tests are used in job areas such as physicians and lawyers, allowing bosses to ensure their workers have the necessary knowledge for their professions. 2. Standardized tests only measure a small portion of what makes education meaningful. Education researcher, Dr. Gerald Bracey says that standardized tests cannot measure persistence, critical thinking, leadership, resourcefulness, etc. This shows how the true qualities needed in college and in adulthood cannot be accurately measured through these tests.
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Cheating on standardized tests is virtually impossible for both students and administrators. This is more effective than relying on scores from teachers where students may have cheated, but the teacher did not notice. 3. Standardized testing causes severe testing in young students. Many students burnout in high school due to anxiety and stress over the need to do well on their SATs and ACTs. This takes away from their teenage life and ruins one’s childhood. Also, during the test many students vomit or cry due to anxiety. In Sacramento, vomiting on tests is so common that explicit directions are written in the Stanford-9 exam on what to do if you vomit on the