Why Is Standardized Testing Necessary

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“The Know-It-All Test”
The education system has an entrenched fondness for standardized testing. Every student understands the agony of retrieving a number two pencil to fill in a scantron so they can then be administered a lengthy test. From the moment students begin their schooling life, schools subject them to a multitude of tests to evaluate their success. Schools have insisted that these excessive standardized tests are the nonpareil way of assessing students. However, are these tests truly necessary and beneficial?
Perhaps the most salient reason for why standardized testing is defective has been stated a myriad of times : standardized testing does not accurately measure a student's achievement or intelligence. According to a 2001 study, …show more content…

One of these aspects is the belief that standardized tests do not cause stress for students. According to a study by the University of Arkansas in November 2001, “The vast majority of students do not exhibit stress and have positive attitudes towards standardized testing programs” (Mulvenon, Connors, and Lenares). The US Department of Education acquiesced with this statement by declaring that “although testing may be stressful for some students, testing is a normal and expected way of assessing what students have learned” (“Testing: Frequently Asked Questions”). Although conversely, standardized tests are known for the severe stress they cause ; especially in younger children. Education researcher Gregory J. Cizek anecdotes abound experiences of gripping anxiety in students usually ending in vomiting, crying or both. The Sacramento Bee reported “test-related jitters, especially among young students, are so common that the Stanford-9 exam comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in case a student vomits on it” (Ohanian). This clearly shows tests are not as friendly as their administrators make them out to be. Standardized tests causes too much panic in children - the stress can contribute to lost focus, fatigue, aversion and refusal to take test seriously. The build up of stress , notably in preparing and taking a test, can cause health problems in students as well. Obviously the well-being of students taking these tests is far more important than the test itself. Even if the effects of these tests are inadvertent, schools should realize the meaningless value of these tests if the stress is an