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Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

1736 Words7 Pages

Most students in the United States have taken some form of standardized test in elementary, middle, or high school. These tests are defined as any exam administered in a standard matter, and can include a wide range of subjects to assess knowledge, intelligence, or aptitude. Specifically in primary and secondary school, there is much debate surrounding the benefits and drawbacks of these standardized tests testing. While these tests do provide feedback to schools and individuals on state and nation-wide levels, many question if they genuinely improve education and serve as an accurate educational tool. National and state-wide standardized testing should not be used as an assessment of students’ academic performance because it does not accurately …show more content…

However, the problem occurs when standardized tests are used to measure a student's educational abilities (Barksdale-Ladd, Thomas 395). Since the content taught in school is only one factor that contributes to the success of high test scores and may not even appear on those tests, national exams should evaluate if they continue to be used as a benchmark for schools (Popham). Standardized tests can also be predictable, not accurately measure a student’s knowledge of a concept, and negatively affect behavior which causes students to perform poorly. Standardized tests do also not accurately measure intelligence because socioeconomic class is one of the largest factors contributing to high test scores. Wealthier families and schools are able to invest more money into helpful testing services compared to lower-income schools, which means socioeconomic status is a greater factor to consider when comparing scores to other schools (Tunnel). On top of these issues, standardized testing causes harmful effects to students self-esteem, which not only damages their self-efficacy for future success, but can cause them to underperform while taking these high-stakes tests. Even if standardized tests do provide some helpful feedback or comparison, tests that affect student behavior in this way and negatively impact teaching and curriculum should not be used as a critical academic assessment. James Popham summarizes, “But to evaluate educational quality by using the wrong assessment instruments is a subversion of good sense. Although educators need to produce valid evidence regarding their effectiveness, standardized achievement tests are the wrong tools for the task”

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