Growing up, from first grade until graduation, like clockwork students are required to take standardized tests. In Arizona we had the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards or AIMs. During a student's sophomore year it was a requirement to take the math, reading, and writing versions and pass to graduate. The problem was not that a standard was made, the problem was that the testing for that standard came only halfway though a students time in high school. If it was truly an accurate measurement for what a student needs learn then
The reasoning given for why the standardized tests were administered so early in school was to give the students who did not pass the test two more chances in both their junior and senior years. While it is reasonable to allow additional opportunities, having a total of four more times to test takes away from the seriousness of the test.
…show more content…
And while the tests may be locked away until the day that are taken teachers shape their curriculum to mirror the test. Questions and answers from classes are worded and formatted in a similarly to the standardized tests. Some can argue that having a similar structure between the tests for class and standardized tests is reassuring to a student, especially since many of these tests can start as early as first grade. The drawback to this approach is that students come to only know one way to learn, where this is one definitive answer. Having one answer for math is logical, however limiting a students opinion to a multiple choice question takes away from their logic and reasoning skills, and their ability to form their own opinion on a topic. Students are trained to listen, summarize, repeat, and then they forget all that is taught to