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Standardized Testing In Early Education

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The reading from Chapter 6 of Van Hoorn, “Play as a Tool for Assessment” posited many ideas that I find myself in agreement with. The contrast that was drawn between play-based assessment and the usage of standardized testing to assess identified how different forms of assessment can offer different views and depictions of students. Standardized testing in large part reduces a child to a number, and that number plays a critical role in how the student, teacher, and schools are judged, which can directly affect funding. Essentially, the child is not only reduced to a number, they are reduced to a dollar amount. This reduction is the result of a testing strategy that does not tell the full story of a student. A test score does not show the …show more content…

As teachers, there is a civic obligation to develop well-rounded students that can be valuable members of society. In my mind, this is even more important in early education, as a young child is like a piece of clay. Their malleability means the behaviors and surroundings they absorb can have a massive effect on their development, whether it be largely positive or terribly negative. As a result, I believe that if the child’s emotional well-being is taken care of, and a sense of confidence is developed, the academic performance will follow. However, that is not to say that academics are an afterthought. The teaching of academics is where students can find their passions. In the search for a student’s areas of interest, I believe they are much more likely to pursue a topic if they have a positive belief in themselves. The mental and academic performance of a student go hand-in-hand, which is why, in my opinion, standardized tests are not the answer. The pressure they place on the children, and the educational community at large, can have repercussions that adversely impact the development of the …show more content…

I want my students to be curious, and I find that play is a tool that allows the students to explore themselves. In a world with so much information and so many opportunities, a cookie-cutter, universal standard for what a child should know does not provide them the opportunity to find their own path. Evaluating based upon a test score does not do the child justice in terms of their own individuality. Play is an evaluative method that both offers a wider wealth of information about a child, and has a healthier impact on their

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1,2: For my issue, I plan on addressing the controversy of standardized testing. I believe there would be differing opinions in the audience, some supporting and disagreeing with the topic. Most, if not all students have taken some form of standardized testing, thus, establishing a wide variety of viewpoints. While some believe this form of testing accurately measures a student’s achievement, others think it is an unreliable measure of a student’s performance. 3

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Discussion Post- Chapter 7- High stakes testing Claim: High stakes testing is an extremely problematic political issue within the education system because it holds all students to the same standards regardless of disabilities or disadvantages , it encourages educators to teach strictly on information that relates to the tests, and it can have major consequences for schools across the country that are unable to make Adequete Yearly Progress (AYP). Evidence: The Learning to Teach Edition Nine textbook outlines key disadvantages to high stakes testing. Although the textbook does consider some of the advantages, which include a focus of attention on the achievement of students and providing information on areas where students may need to improve,

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Meredith Broussard explains how standardized testing does not prove a child’s general knowledge nor creative in-depth thinking by stating, “Standardized tests are not based on general knowledge... they are based on specific knowledge contained in specific sets of books: the textbooks created by the test makers” (Broussard). Miner also states that standardized testing, “... leads to a dumbed-down curriculum that values rote memorization over in-depth thinking, exacerbates inequities for low-income students and students of color, and undermines true accountability among schools, parents, and community” (Miner). The assessment of a child should encourage a child to want to learn for the sake of learning. Alternative assessments could address a child’s development and learning process. These evaluations can determine why children are more likely to read behind grade level, instead of highlighting their inabilities.

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The state tried to force this child, Ethan, to take this test. In the meantime while Andrea was fighting the school system, Ethan Rediske passed away. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our children aren’t all dying of terrible diseases, but these standardized testing is killing our brothers and sisters creativity and passion for school instead. Standardized tests do not accurately measure what students know and what they can do, nor are they accurate predictors of future success

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Their argument consists of three main points: objectivity, comparability, and accountability. Objectivity seems useful because it provides an “accurate unfiltered measure of what the student knows” (Churchill). Comparability is useful in seeing how one’s pupil compares to others of their age group and helps parents decide which school to choose for their child to attend (Churchill). Test results are used to decide which schools deserve federal funding and which require disciplinary action. High stakes testing affects entire communities with the

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American education has involved standardized testing since the mid-1800s, although their use increased dramatically after the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act mandated testing in all 50 states. The debate over whether standardized tests improve education has paralleled education reform throughout the years. Failures in our education system have been increasingly blamed on the ubiquitous use of standardized tests. Historically, they had a good reputation for serving as a test of basic knowledge for admittance into college and providing a structured curriculum for teachers. Nowadays, standardized tests evoke feelings of stress and loathing from teachers and students alike.

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Did you know that the multiple choice format used on standardized test doesn 't have any effect on a child 's learning ability. And yet, kids all over the United States are taking these tests yearly. For the past decade, the idea of standardized testing has been debated. The purpose of the testing is to help students learn concepts they can use as they get older and start to get serious jobs. But studies show that these tests have no effect on the children the way they were intended to work.

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In recent years testing has been a huge component of public education in the United States. Students take year long classes and then are forced to take long exams based on what they have learned. The problem with this is that many of these classes don’t provide students with the tools that they need to function outside the classroom. It is true that some of these classes are necessary and need to be taught, however, this is not the case for all of them. Standardized testing needs to be re-evaluated and replaced with more beneficial ways of teaching students information.

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As a result, this can induce high levels of stress on some of the students, thus preventing them from executing the test to the best of their abilities.

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I agree that play-based learning offers diverse opportunities for children to explore, discover and create, they can also discover new things and communicate with peer during free-play time. Frobel said that “Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child 's soul” (Froebel, 1887). He believed in the importance of play in a child’s learning as creative activity. Play provided the means for a child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical development which are necessary elements in educating the “whole” children allowing them to use all imaginative powers and physical movements to explore their interests.

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“Teachers often don’t have time to teach the content they should because standardized testing has changed the way instruction takes place in a classroom. Many teachers acknowledge that they ‘teach to the test’” (“The Tornadic Effect of Standardized Testing”). Teachers are spending too much time preparing students for standardized tests that they don’t get to teach the actual curriculum. Students begin to lack the educational skills they need because teachers have to set aside lessons to improve testing scores.

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Phelps” (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org.). Furthermore “debates about standardized testing are wide-ranging, nuanced, and sometimes emotionally charged, many debates tend to be focused on the ways in which the tests are used, and whether they present reliable or unreliable evaluations of student learning, rather than on whether standardized testing is inherently good or bad” (Standardized Test Definition). In addition, “proponents say standardized tests are a fair and objective measure of student achievement, that they ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and that the most relevant constituents- parents and students- approve of testing” (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org.). However “most test developers and testing experts for example, caution against using standardized-test scores as an exclusive measure of educational performance, although many would also contend that test scores can be a valuable indicator of performance if used appropriately and judiciously” (Standardized Test Definition).

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In the article, “Do Standardized Tests Measure Education Quality?,” published by ViewSonic Library, an unknown author reveals that “Standardized testing is a practical and accurate way of evaluating what a student does or doesn’t know across important areas like math, reading, and writing.” Standardized testing presents an equitable approach to evaluating the state’s educational standards directly from the students, making it the leading approach. Furthermore, these scores are viewed by a student’s teacher to assess the effectiveness of their teaching methods. For example, if one sole class is behind, the underlying issue could be the learning procedures of that specific teacher. Additionally, if this happens to be the case, the teacher can learn from his or her mistakes and grow in their teaching abilities as well.

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As a student who doesn 't test well, standardized testing is always a challenge. After research, it has been proven that standardized testing does not measure the ability to comprehend

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In this essay I will discuss the purposes of play in learning and development in early childhood. I will also support my perspective with analysis of my observations of children’s play. Play in early childhood is vital in children developmental process as it contributes to the development of their cognitive development, social skills, emotional regulation and boosts their physical confidence. Play is how children begin to understand and process their world. Children's play unlocks their creativity and imagination, and develops reading, thinking, and problem solving skills as well as further develops motor skills.

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