Standardized Testing: The Glossary Of Education Reform

Almost every student across the country has had experience with standardized testing, and has an opinion on whether they think it is beneficial. According to The Glossary of Education Reform, standardized tests are defined as “any form of test that (1) requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way, and that (2) is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.” The purpose of standardized testing is to compare student achievement and measure how students are meeting state or national standards. There are a variety of different types of standardized tests

In 1890, Charles William Eliot, the president of Harvard University proposed college entrance exams which eventually spread throughout the country. As the 20th century progressed, the idea of quantifying intelligence became a topic of discussion around the country with the invention of the IQ test and other forms of achievement tests. The US Military began to use standardized testing as standard practice with the purpose of assigning appropriate jobs to servicemen. Over time, standardized testing became common practice throughout the country as the No Child Left Behind education reform in 2001 expanded state mandated testing and required students to be tested each year of grade school. Currently, the concept of standardized testing has been modified and improved since the No Child Left Behind Act was introduced. This is because standardized testing has become a major topic of debate in the United States with the question: Does standardized testing accurately measure student learning and

Others argue that standardized testing is an ineffective and inaccurate way to measure student growth and learning. A 2018 study showed that male and female students consistently perform differently based on test format. From this data, the study concludes that “differences in question formats explain approximately 25% of the variation in achievement gaps across states and districts”. This finding raises concern about how accurate standardized tests are in measuring the learning of students. Furthermore, teachers’ careers are heavily based on standardized test scores, without taking other factors into consideration. The Noah Webster Education Foundation explains that standardized testing is often not going to give accurate results for students who suffer from test anxiety or struggle with learning disabilities. Scores on standardized tests impact students’ self-esteem and confidence, as they may constantly compare their own scores to that of other students or state standards. In my opinion, there needs to be a better way to show students learning and