ipl-logo

Argumentative Essay On Standardized Testing

1098 Words5 Pages

A standardized test, according to W. James Popham of ASCD.org, is “any examination that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner.” In standardized testing, examinees are instructed to precisely answer a specific set of questions, which are usually multiple-choices. Although standardized testing is believed to be an objective method to grade students, administers should understand that these tests are not only a waste of time, but also a waste of money. Standardized testing is irrelevant to a student’s education because it is an unreliable way to measure a student’s knowledge, causes stress, and hinders a student’s overall learning potential.
To begin with, standardized tests are not wholly reflective of a student’s knowledge. …show more content…

School rankings are important and taken very seriously, especially in public schools. The higher a school ranks; the more advantages it gains. The government provides high ranking schools with funds or subsidies to help obtain new facilities, advanced technology, and more professionally experienced teachers. If students of a specific school do not achieve certain criterion that raises the school’s ranking, then the school will not gain the benefits of funds or subsidies that are provided by the government. To prevent this failure from becoming a reality, teachers will try and “teach to the test”. This method will prevent students from gaining the knowledge they seek and will not work to their advantage later on in the future. Most high school classes are teaching students how to take tests rather than teaching them how to skilfully answer them and master them. This causes students to enter college and university unprepared as they develop little skill-making abilities. High-stake standardized testing, such as the SAT, is burdensome for students. The standardized test scores that a student receives determine which university a student can attend and this greatly impacts his or her future. Along with the external exams high school seniors have to sit for, many universities require students to sit for

Show More
Related
1229 Words | 5 Pages

This can ultimately equate to priority on-campus housing, tuition reductions, dream colleges, and jobs; aspects of college that are not always guaranteed without exceptional test scores. AP (Advanced Placement) exams can ensure college credit for a certain subject if the student performs well, preferably scoring a four or five out of five. “For example, if you score well on the AP English Literature exam, you may not have to take the college’s required freshman-level English course.” (Taking Required Tests) If every college did not consider standardized tests, then universities and employers would miss out on academically inclined prospects.

Read More
680 Words | 3 Pages

Standardized testing has not improved education in America. Standardized tests have been issued in schools all across the nation for years now. Some people like them and some people don’t. They do not help the student learn more information than they would without the tests. The U.S. has dropped from 18th highest scores in schools in the world to be in the 30’s on almost all of the subjects on the test.

Read More
769 Words | 4 Pages

Standardized testing has become a very controversial topic amongst the nation. There are two sides, one that agrees that these tests are doing well for students and school officials, and another that argues that these tests are hurting the students taking them and should be put to a stop. Norman R. Augustine wrote an article for the need of standardized testing, and Jessie B. Ramey States the ways that the tests are impairing the learning capability of the students. Norman uses three arguments that people opposing the standardized test would most often use.

Read More
1749 Words | 7 Pages

Introduction Standardized tests may be used for a wide variety of educational purposes. For example, they may be used to determine a young child’s readiness for kindergarten, identify students who need special-education services or specialized academic support, place students in different academic programs or course levels, or award diplomas and other educational certificates. Thesis Statement Standardized tests should not be eliminated completely, but should rather be evaluated in addition to other factors such as grades, extracurricular activities, and volunteer hours. This would take pressure off of students during standardized tests, allow colleges to see how well-rounded the students are, and give students who are better in other areas

Read More
1189 Words | 5 Pages

The silence in the room, with only the sound a pencil makes with the paper, produces the heart-thumping atmosphere standardized testing gives to students. Most students experience the overwhelming stress that is brought upon their academic life from SAT, ACT, or any standardized tests. They see them as one of the most important factors for college acceptance. The constant worry that sits on their shoulders will not disappear until testing is over, and there is nothing they can do about it until they hopefully get a letter from their dream college.

Read More
1229 Words | 5 Pages

Going Against the Standard According to Tim Walker, “Only 14% of parents say standardized testing is important in measuring school effectiveness” (Walker). A standardized test is a test that is given in a consistent or “standard” manner. Standardized tests are designed to have consistent questions, administration procedures, and scoring procedures. When a standardized test is administered, it is done so according to certain rules and specifications so that testing conditions are the same for all test takers. They often provide some type of “standard score” which can help interpret how far a child score ranges from the average student (Johnson).

Read More
1131 Words | 5 Pages

IV. Standardized Testing is not effective nor reliable due to its inability to effectively measure a student’s intelligence or ability, the pressure it applies to both the student and the teacher, and its negative impact on teaching curriculum. (To begin, let’s look at how testing gauges students) Body I. Standardized testing is not an accurate means to measure a student’s ability or

Read More
1687 Words | 7 Pages

Some schools that have become test optional have done so because they believe this will attract a more diverse applicant pool. Many students in high school begin taking practice tests during freshman year, as well as taking actual tests. Standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT limit access to college for minorities, and colleges are beginning to consider two alternative admissions policies that do not involve these tests: class rank admissions systems and admissions lotteries. Although colleges still will have to deny thousands of students yearly, the review of applications would hopefully be based on a more holistic process versus one test having the highest

Read More
935 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the years, standardized testing has become something no student looks forward to. But, there might be deeper reasons as to why they despise it. Standardized tests have been around since the mid-1800s and have been used to measure a students' knowledge and ability to achieve their goals. However, as the year's progress, this form of testing has proven to cause problems. Students, teachers, and schools are all affected by standardized testing and its components in various ways.

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1191 Words | 5 Pages

School’s are using standardized testing for the wrong reason. “A standardized test is any examination that’s administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. There are two major kinds of standardized tests: aptitude tests and achievement tests” (Popham, 1999). The most common examples of aptitude tests are the SAT and the

Read More
898 Words | 4 Pages

Students in Massachusetts should have to pass a statewide standardized test before graduating from high school because these tests prepare students for life beyond school, demonstrate students’ skills to college admissions boards, and improve the quality of education in school districts. Statewide standardized tests prepare students for the challenges of life outside school. First, these exams put undergraduates in uncomfortable situations by testing their knowledge of certain topics in different

Read More
957 Words | 4 Pages

A student could perform well on a test but that doesn’t make them smart; they could’ve cheated or just simply memorized something that they will probably forget in a few month. On the other hand, a student could perform profoundly atrocious but that doesn’t mean they’re dumb; they’re probably not exceptional test takers or blanked out because they were nervous. Standardized testing shouldn't be a source to see if a student is smart or not. Andy Hudlow once said “The goal of standardized testing is not to find out how well you think through problems, or if you can express your opinions, or create a presentation, the goal is to find out what you were able to memorize” This quote is accurate in many ways because students mostly care about passing not about problem

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

Standardized tests are major problems on education because these tests are increase the pressure on students and force the students to memorize everything instead of learning

Read More
581 Words | 3 Pages

Standardized testing is very common in the United States, and has been in the United States of America (US) for more than fifty years. In today’s society, standardized tests have become the norm. They are more pressure packed and strenuous than ever. Standardized testing used to only be used sparingly, but now every child from elementary school to a college graduate school must take these rigorous exams. Standardized tests can be very helpful when it comes to positive student achievement, equal content and comparison, and helps prepare you for college.

Read More

More about Argumentative Essay On Standardized Testing

Related Topics

Open Document