Standardized Testing In America Essay

1. Background Information

Ever since the education system in America began to develop, forms of testing have been popular to measure a student’s knowledge. During the 1800s, educators began to implement ways to assess student achievement such as oral exams, but over time it would be replaced with written tests(National Education Association). Following World War I, educators wanted to test how well a student was prepared for college, as well as see how they were performing under certain curricular areas(National Education Association). Gradually, schools throughout America adapted to school-wide testing to evaluate the performance of students and teachers.

In addition to these exams, the first SAT was used in 1926 to test students on arithmetic,

On January 8, 2002, under the Bush administration, Congress passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to ensure American schools were not delayed in their academics compared to other schools, and allowed the government to hold schools accountable for student performance(Cornell Law School). This act required states to test students grades 3-8 in reading and math, as well as sort student data into groups by socioeconomic status, race, and disability.

2. Explanation of the Problem

Economically disadvantaged students in California don’t receive the necessary resources to perform well on standardized tests. According to the 2021 CAASPP English language arts test scores, when comparing students that aren’t economically disadvantaged, to students that are, the economically disadvantaged students have a higher failure rate of 22.83% (CAASPP). And as for the mathematics portion, 55.33% of economically disadvantaged students are not meeting the standard for their grade, whereas only 25.05% of non-economically disadvantaged students are not meeting the standard(CAASPP). These scores demonstrate a dramatic difference between low-income students and their affluent peers, however, these scores can be seen throughout the nation. A crucial

When students start to enter high school, the thought of becoming a more competitive student and applicant comes to mind. This will either come in the form of taking rigorous courses, having extracurriculars, or studying to get the highest score possible on the SAT. Naturally, companies saw this as an opportunity to profit from students’ desperation, and sell test-prep materials and services(Kohn). As a result, the inequity of testing rises as it becomes more accessible to affluent families and districts and not to those of low socioeconomic status. For instance, on The Princeton Review website, they are offering different prep options that range from online or in-person tutoring for $364/hr for students aiming to get a top 2% score, or a one-time payment of $1,899 that guarantees a score of 1400+(The Princeton Review). Consequently, it is more difficult for students of low income, to receive aid and assistance in their studying process which may affect their test outcomes. Despite the SAT being a way for colleges to test a student's knowledge equally, when test prep is only available for students in a good financial standing, every other student is at a disadvantage. On average, about $1.7 billion is spent on standardized testing in the US annually, and families are spending about $68 on the SAT(Robinson). If students are taking these