A standardized test is a large scale exam technique that schools administer to a large population of their students (PENRC, 2016). This type of exam provides a standard assessment for all students, and its purpose is to measure their academic achievement. The standardized test is scored using a standard grading rubric or a guideline with a set of passing score that decides what grade/performance is considered to be proficient (PENRC, 2016). With this classification technique, it is possible to compare all individual scores, so that the each student can be ranked based on their percentile.
Ever since George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, it has been a mandated annual testing in all 50 states(Goodman & Hambleton, 2014).
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Although this is a huge change, there are still some concerning issues that follow this new method. For example, more money is being spent on the billion dollar testing industry, according to Texas Education Agency, the state spent an additional 8 million dollars from 2006 to 2008 on testing students (PENRC, 2016). This amount of money should be used for better resources and materials in public schools that are struggling to provide students with the best learning tools and technology. Also, open-ended questions on standardized tests are often graded by underpaid temporary workers with no educational training. Most test scorers make $11-$13 per hour and only need a bachelor’s degree, not related to education, to be a candidate (Pearson, 2014). It is proven that a lot of these scorers do not take their job seriously and are more likely to grade poorly or inaccurately (Pearson, 2014). For this reason, standardized exams should be produced by educators. Also, all educators should also be required to add a variety of assessment tools in their exams along with a steady guideline that is constant throughout each school. Educators at each school should also grade each exam as well as long as no teacher grades their own student’s exam and each student’s name is coded under a serial number to keep the anonymity of each