Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

During the twelve year time period in the public school system, the idea of standardized tests constantly hovers above the heads of students. The federal government requires these tests to be taken around the nation. However, the individual state decides which tests are to be administered as well as if scores are mandatory for high school graduation or to move onto the upcoming grade level. Standardized exams are one way the state government uses to determine student comprehension, improvement, or benchmark through results over time, as well as the efficiency of education programs. The education system designs these examinations to test students across the nation on their comprehension in subjects such as math, English, and more. A primary

The leading argument regarding standardized testing is that they are a fair and organized way to measure and exemplify students academic performance over time, or as a benchmark. These mandated tests are administered in the same manner, which makes the examination process seamless and easy to receive results. To uphold this position, David Sadker and Karen Zittleman investigate the relationship between these tests and the federal government. They state a few of the agreeable factors surrounding mandated tests, “Standardized tests can be quite appealing: they are relatively inexpensive to administer, they can be mandated with comparative ease and rapidly implemented, and they can deliver measurable results” (Sadker and Zittleman 742). There are many upsides to standardized testing, one being that it makes testing every student at once easy, and can be done in an organized fashion. The education system found a way to test children on their comprehension across the nation in a relatively seamless and coherent manner. It also saves the government money in the end, as no tests are customized or specially made in any way,

While this may be true in concept, they fail to take into consideration how inequality can strain from such tests, as well as how test scores inaccurately judge a student as a whole. The education system constantly builds students up for twelve years just for a state mandated exam taken on one day out of the year. With the weight of this concept lurking above the heads of students, an immense amount of pressure is put on their shoulders. To avoid unnecessary stress, states should take a few solutions into consideration. With such high stakes of testing, the education system loses focus on important and necessary real-world skills students can be learning in class, yet instead they hone in on test taking skills for a single test. If states shifted their focus to where standardized tests weighed and mattered less on determining a student’s reputation in the educational system, it can significantly help improve learning, comprehension, and even mental health. This way, students and teachers can focus their time learning what they feel will help them succeed in the long run, not on an individual test