Imagine, there are three hours to take a test. If one passes it, they go on to enjoy their future and pursue their dreams. If one were to fail this test, that dream comes to a halt. That sure is an abundance of pressure, right? Is it fair to put that much at stake over one test? Well, many states think that it is; that its beneficial. Pennsylvania, as well as ten other states have approved final exams as a requirement for graduation (“PA.Votes Final-Exam…”), but that’s not all. Pennsylvania has recently added a new test to the graduation requirement: the Keystone Exam. Currently there are three keystones in place, but there are plans to add more to the list. These tests have stirred up major controversy in the world of education with people …show more content…
Going into a test knowing if you don’t do well you may not graduate is scary. Many students get anxious when taking these tests because their future may depend on it. Protesters of the exam believe that the tests have the potential to create more dropouts, cause school districts to go bankrupt, and shift the educational control from local districts to the state (“Senate Committee Weighs…”). By putting this pressure on the students, we may cause unintentional harm to many children and school districts. The stress that the Keystones are causing is a lot to add to students that are already trying to balance school, homework, extracurriculars, and other things. Jeff Taylor, assistant superintendent of curriculum in the North Hills School District, believes that students are "over-tested," already (Daniels). Students are tested endlessly whether it’s for a class, the SAT, or even to get their license. Adding a test that may affect a child’s ability to graduate is unnecessary pressure. Some may argue that this exam is making sure a student’s diploma had meaning (“Pennsylvania on Track…”). This is not the case. A students academic success should not be based on a few tests (“Pennsylvania on Track…”). Students face enough pressure in high school as it is, let alone having to worry about passing even more tests to get the diploma. For example, in the biology class you got many tests and chances to show your knowledge. The Keystone exam for biology is one test, and if you don't pass it, you may not be able to graduate. By adding this extra pressure to students, Keystones are causing more of a disturbance than anything beneficiary. Students should be able to focus on their studies and strive to learn something new everyday, not worry about the Keystone that is hanging over their head on top of the other tests they have throughout the school
Now that the TASP mandatory testing program has been in place for some time, we are better able to understand if the TASP should be continued or discontinued. Those opposed to eliminating the TASP testing program believe that the TASP helps colleges and universities to provide better classes to meet the needs of the students. Those in favor of eliminating the TASP testing program believe the test is discriminatory. I favor the elimination of the TASP testing program because the test is too expensive, the test is unfair to people with test anxiety, and the test keeps students from pursuing a college education.
Since this test has been devised, the number one question everybody is asking is, “ isn’t it unfair to base a student’s entire future on one test, when he or she simply could have had a bad day when taking the test”? The president Kirk T. Schroder of the Virginia Board of Education, answer this question by saying, “First of all, these tests are untimed, so no student is under arbitrary time pressure in taking the test.
This is precisely the problem. Standardized tests are old and outdated, and the harm they cause to America’s education system by far outweighs the benefits. These tests were intended to monitor and offer ways to improve how public schools function, but instead they have impaired the natural learning ability of students and imposed upon the judgment of experienced educators. Although a means to evaluate the progress of public schools is necessary, it is also necessary to develop more modern and effective ways of doing so. Standardized testing mandated by the federal and state governments has a negative effect on the education of America’s youth.
Although the California Department of Education (CDE) would argue that the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) is an effective way to evaluate student progress, based on recent interviews with parents, teachers, California public high school graduates and even the leadership of the CDE, there is no doubt this test creates a better education system and hinders a student’s performance. According to the state Department of Education figures for the class of 2014, 19,679 students did not pass the exit exam by the end of the senior year. Those alternatives included using the results of the eleventh grade Smarter Balanced Assessments; using results of other exams, such as the SAT, ACT or Advanced Placement tests, as a “proxy” for the exit exam; or using course completion in high school as a measure of proficiency. When asked if the exit exam was now abolished, Superintendent Torlakson hesitated, but explained that he, along with Mark McLean, CDE Assessment Development and Administration Division Director, look forward to forming a panel of students, parents, teachers, and education administrators to develop a more thoughtful approach to high school graduation requirements.
Every state in the United States has different standards and expectations for public education. For example, some states require an exit exam in high school whereas others do not. One reasoning for this is because of test scores. Explained in an article titled “High School Exit Exams: Issues to Consider,” is that some states have a high number of students that are failing the exams, and so they either lower the standards or remove the test in order to raise the graduation rate at the end of the year (GreatSchools staff, n.d., p. 2). Setting lower standards is causing major problems for the United States as a whole because it reflects poorly on the nation’s report card. In the case of Nevada and Wisconsin, both states differ f...
Students spend most of the year preparing to take one or two big tests at the end. The amount of pressure put on students to succeed on these tests is astronomical, making it impossible to focus on the actual goal of assessing their knowledge. A student in Florida spoke to her school board about the absurd expectations from these tests, “Every year I do well in school, but I get low test scores on the FCAP and it feels like a punch in the stomach. This is unfair and I don't want to lose my opportunity to take my advanced classes or get a better education because of this one test.” (Locker)
Have you ever worked really hard on something, only to find out that all of your work was not actually necessary? Some might say “these tests are just test- not the end of the world” according to “High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons” by Roberta Munoz. Who seems to not realize that some of these tests can cause you to repeat a grade or not graduate from high school. For example, the FSA, which prohibits you from getting your diploma if you fail the reading or writing part of it. According to “High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons” by Roberta Munoz this “have become a normal thing for students ever since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.” Which means that students by now should not be affected by standardized testing, but when they start to change
Almost state has gained federal funding from accumulating the test data from all of their schools (Ravitch 107). Data collected from multiple choice questions determines the intelligence of every student and their teachers. The test data is tracked throughout their lifetime in relation to their test scores, graduation dates and other statistics companies such as Amazon and Microsoft use to evaluate different groups (by age, ethnicity, etc) as a whole (Ravitch 107). Ravitch claims there are many problems with this, mainly, tests do not measure character, spirit, heart, soul, and potential (112). Not everyone is the same, and just because one may be weak in math or writing doesn’t mean they’re not smart, resourceful individuals with much to share with the world. For schools to be even seen with a slight amount more than just their test scores, they have to be in great standings with their students’ average test results. The government’s intense focus on test results hurts schools’ ability to be a well-rounded school immensely. In contrast to federal’s pinpoint focus on what students learn, educated consumers desire their kids to have a full, balanced, and rich curriculum (Ravitch 108). Schools need to be more than housing for test-takers. The Education Board may claim students’ proficiency in their testing makes them better people, prepares them for college, and ultimately, the workforce. What they are
In 2002, President George W. Bush passed the “No Child Left Behind Act” which tied in schools’ public funding to standardized tests and enforced the tests in elementary and high schools every year by state education departments. This law also began to put more emphasize on standardized tests which has diminished our level of education and the law “made standardized test scores the primary measure of school quality” (Diane Ravitch 28). Bush hoped this law motivated more students to do well on these exams and teachers to help them prepare better, but it ended up hurting many schools in the process. These exams like the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) should not play such a prominent role in schooling and the government should not make tests the main focal point.
It is not in America’s best interest to pass the proposal to require standardized testing at elementary school levels, or to force students to pass exit exams to earn their diplomas. If we wish for our children to be informed, educated, and ready to survive on their own in the real world, we need to give them the tools that will get them there. These tests are not accurate, and they are detrimental to the education of children. There should be no debate over how our representatives in Congress should vote on this bill.
The rallying call to end high school exit exams is not only a display of America’s failing attitude to education, but also a way to ensure American students are doomed in higher education levels. National exit exams would not harm the overall education standards, but rather would give a reason for students and teachers alike to crack down and get to work. So instead of making excuses it is about time for the American education system to set a standard for students to reach for, not one that is just walked over like the one that has so sadly failed this new generation.
"There is a monster waiting for you in the spring," said a parent. This monster is PARCC, and they call it a monster is because some children are afraid of not doing well. A teacher and parent protracted a standardized test for "below average" freshman for one year. “Nearly seventy percent of our students are expected to fail this high-stakes test, paving the way, to be sure, for more Pearson educational products in our schools,” said Kyle. Teachers and the state have sacrificed all students’ joy of learning. When children take PARCC, teachers and parents watch their children to come home worried to take PARCC another time.
Standardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay.
The anxiety that gain control of some students is the reason why standardized testing has no reason to stay adrift in students’ lives. They don’t reward anything but the chance of cheating, teaching nothing but “brains”, and making our national scores drop harshly. Even the National Education Association, Institute for Democratic Education in America, and the American Evaluation Association are against the
Every year many students are kept from graduating high school because of these exit exams. This makes students and parents very angry. Students who have had high passing grades throughout high school do not understand why they cannot pass exit exams. Sometimes the student blames him or herself by thinking that he or she did not learn enough, when in fact there is nothing wrong without heir knowledge. These students do not realize that they lack good test taking skills. Parents are angry that their child was kept from graduating because of a single test, even though the child had all the he credits required. This situation occurred to Lee Hicks, another student from Paris (texas) High School. Had he lived 14 miles away in Oklahoma, which has no statewide exit test, he'd have received a diploma and would now be serving his country in the Navy. Instead Hicks severs customers in a Paris supermarket; he won management's Aggressive Hospitality Award for 1996. "He's a great employee, a bright young man--extremely hardworking," says store director, Larry Legg.