“Students have lost the will to learn for the sake of knowing and expanding their own minds,” June S. observed. “I see and hear too many students who ask, ‘Is this on the test? Why do we need to learn it the’” (S., June). Our society has conditioned students to focus on a numerical reflecting their ability to regurgitate information, rather than developing knowledge and applying it through critical thinking to produce a true education. In 1845, Horace Mann designed and administered the first standardized test in the Boston public school system. The results of the first standardized test confirmed many parents concern with the standards of public school education, as the average test score was 35.5% (Maranto). As a result, standards of public …show more content…
In order to measure students fairly, biases across of different regions and races must be eliminated, along with reducing the number of tests, and eliminating the harsh consequences tied to low test scores (Edwards, “Leaving Tests Behind”). The main supporters of these changes are those directly affected by the results of standardized tests: students, teachers, and other faculty of the school district. Students are most directly effected as they are the ones taking and being graded by the tests. Teachers and school districts are also heavily affected by the standardized tests due to the NCLB accountability program which requires students to reach a specific benchmark score or face the repercussions of possibly having to close the …show more content…
Also, many colleges require standardized test scores as part of their admissions process; if tests fail to accurately represent students due to biases, then many students may not accepted to higher education. The majority of United States citizens who attended at least elementary school have taken a standardized test. The use of standardized tests did not gain popularity until 2001 when the NCLB act was passed. Thus, the demographics most effected by standardized tests are the students who were in 3rd through 12th grade between 2001 to present who were required to take the