What Is Standardized Testing All About How are proficient you when taking tests? Everyone is not an adept or a confident test taker. Some are incompetent when it comes to any form of test taking. Others just can’t handle the idea of taking a test. For four consecutive academic years, it has been proven that in 37 states, as well as Washington D.C., there have been occurrences of cheating by teachers on standardized tests. (Source 1) In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was put into place by George W. Bush. The goal of the NCLB Act was to achieve higher overall grades as a nation. This goal was set to be reached by 2014. (Source 2) The NCLB Act brought about great change to the expectations of the government. Standardized tests are used as a tool in predicting one’s future progress. They also were designed to create better students along with better teachers. (Source 3) The idea was to create a better education system for all. Everyone responds to different learning styles. Some teachers just aren’t satisfactory when it comes to teaching. Some students who take standardized tests may just not be able to make the grade. Some students may crumble under the pressure of taking a test. Teachers may be motivated to work harder to make sure that their school meets its expectations. On the other hand, there are some teachers who are willing to cheat in …show more content…
The pressure placed upon the teachers and students to meet the goals, gives them something to strive for. Ultimately, this could create better students and teachers. Using standardized tests has been useful in predicting students’ likelihood of being successful. It’s highly noticed that colleges that require testing scores, do so for prediction purposes. The tests also help in making decisions in what type of teachers are needed. Since these tests are paid for by the tax dollar, the public is given the opportunity to learn about how the schools are doing. (Source