Standardized Testing Benefits

Every year, $1.7 billion dollars is spent for standardized testing in the United States(excluding 5 states) according to the Huffington Post. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed and passed, requiring students from grade 3 to 8 to take a reading and math standardized test, hoping to improve the education of American students. There are benefits funding these standardized test such as the test isn 't biased. Standardized tests are graded on a machine meaning an administrator or teacher can 't give a students extra points. Also, standardized tests ensures every school is learning the same material. This way if a student moves, he or she will be learning just about the same things in their new school. Standardized test also

Parents are stressed because they want the best for their children. Like parents, teacher are stress for the same reason but they have another factor affecting them. How their students perform on this test affects their paycheck. Though parents and teachers have a lot to worry about, there is no one else more pressured than the students taking the tests. Standardized tests scores are used to compare students and these students are aware of the importance of the reading and math standardized tests so they worry greatly about their performance on the test. Natasha Segool, a professor at University of Hartford Psychology, has been studying the links between anxiety in children and high stakes testing. According to her studies, students are significantly more anxious when taking statewide assessments compared to classroom tests. Her study also shows that 11% of the children reported severe psychological and physiological symptoms tied to the assessments. Stress can affect your emotional, physical, and behavioral state in many ways. According to ADAA, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, stress causes headaches, nausea excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, feeling faint, and even panic attacks. Stress also creates feelings of anger, fear, helplessness and make kids have difficulty concentrating, think negatively about themselves, and compare themselves to others. Stress is one of the consequences of enforcing standardized tests but there are also more