Standardized Tests: Are They Needed to Decide Students' Futures?

Standardized Tests: Are They Needed to Decide Student’s Futures? Imagine having to take a test that could decide the whole future. This is already a reality for many children in public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act was a 2001 law that requires all public schools to give a standardized test to their students (“Pennsylvania Parents against Standardized Tests”). Schools will usually set up special days maybe even weeks to take these tests. The tests are meant to measure the intelligence of students, to show how well the teachers are doing, and to see if the school’s program is working. Standardized tests should be eliminated because students are stressed, it is not a true measure of a student’s intelligence, and students aren’t learning

One mother, who is concerned about her twins, stated that one of her children was too afraid to raise her hand and was so stressed that she did not understand one of the questions (Cunha). The stress of taking a test and not being able to ask questions will break a student down. Pennsylvania schools have many students opt out of the test because of stress, “...a growing number of parents are refusing to let their children take the high-stakes standardized exams...It's part of a national groundswell of opposition by parents who cite design flaws in standardized tests, increasing anxiety in students and teachers, and unrealistic performance standards...” (“Pennsylvania Parents Against Standardized Tests”). Teachers and parents stress just as much as children do and that just puts more on the

For example,“Standardized tests fairly and comprehensively measure student performance... Students who study for a standardized test are more likely to complete their homework and watch less television than their peers. Thus, standardized test-taking develops habits that help students…” (Walberg). Standardized tests show how hard a student is willing to work for a good grade. Studies show that standardized tests are good at measuring a students intelligence, skills, and understanding, but they do not cover all areas of intelligence. For example, “They fail to measure such important attributes as creativity and critical thinking skills. Studies indicate that standardized tests reward superficial thinking and may discourage more analytical thinking” (Harris). These tests do not prove any form of a student’s