There isn’t one student in this world that is perfectly alike to another when comparing their mentality. Every student has their own differences, their own strengths and weaknesses, which makes them unique in their own way. With this being said, students do not need to be a part of a system that uses standardized tests that treat all of the students the exact same. A student’s possibilities of future success should not be limited down depending upon a standardized test’s score. For starters, I think standardized tests should be used because they do not test all areas a student may be talented in. Standardized tests only measure sections that teachers consider important, not all of the little details required to be successful. Most parents believe that standardized testing is best choice we’ve ever made in our schools; however, in reality, there are more items not being tested than there is. As the famous controversial issue web page ProCon said, “Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that standardized tests cannot measure include "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, …show more content…
The test does not teach the student real-life problems that he will have to face and overcome in life. “The multiple-choice format used on standardized tests is an inadequate assessment tool. It encourages a simplistic way of thinking in which there are only right and wrong answers, which doesn't apply in real-world situations.” (ProCon) Sure, the kid knows how to find the hypotenuse of a triangle by using the pathegreom theorem but don’t you think he might also need to know how to responsibly finance money for bills? Therefore, I believe the students need to be learning more than just what these tests require them to
According to Fyona Rose, “Not only do these tests belittle students' and teachers' hard work, they also leave them with negative feelings toward school and drain their love of learning” (Rose, 2015). This means that standardized testing can ruin the enjoyment of learning for both students and teachers. The reason standardized testing still happens is because it has become a standard for schools each year. But if the standard is bad something should be changed. Many who do not like standardized testing to do not believe that testing should be done away with, but rather be changed to accommodate the growing needs of society as a
A young girl is excited about graduating high school and attending her first year at college. She tries hard at school and receives above-average grades. She is an active student involved in student council, band, the drama team, and peer tutoring, but her ACT scores are extremely low, disqualifying her from many universities. The young girl represents many students who are not successful at taking standardized tests because they have not developed the advanced skills required to take a test like the ACT or SAT. An academically motivated and responsible student should not be prevented from attending college because a "standard" test is not his or her standard. The current methods of testing for the ACT or SAT should be abolished and replaced with modified and less "standard" questions to better measure a student's learning potential. In addition to different testing techniques, a student's learning potential should be a measure of a culmination of activities and methods; testing should be less important than other methods in determining a student's learning potential, if not the least important. Standardized testing must evolve to encompass a more diverse student population, and it should not be the primary factor in measuring learning potential.
Even with material being taught incessantly, standardized tests can not accurately measure a student’s ability. The tests are “single-target—meaning that every student, no matter what level of achievement or ability, course selection, or cu...
Standardized tests have been used to see how much a child has learned over a certain period of time. These tests have been a highly debated issue with many parents and just people in general. In the article “Opting out of standardized tests? Wrong answer,” the author Michelle Rhee argues that people should not be trying to opt out of standardized tests because it allows the country to see how much a child has learned and the things they need to improve. On the other hand, in the article “Everything You’ve Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong,” the author Kristina Rizga argues that standardized tests are not an efficient way to measure a student’s intelligence.
Having a standardized test can keep everyone at an equal level in our education system. For example, a teacher by the name of James Ayoc wrote on an online blog, “ the purpose of testing kids is to figure out what they know and are able to do.” (Aycock) Mr. Aycock uses these standardized tests to assay what his students know and are capable of doing. Another reason Mr. Aycock uses his test is to mark his ability to teach. Mr. James also argues that without the use of standardized testing, he would be unable to compare scores to measure
The world is no longer concerned with educating whole human beings, but instead, it is focused on collecting “data.” “Standardized testing robs students and teachers of using their creativity and critical thinking. It holds everyone accountable for meeting this one standard when that is nearly impossible to do. It turns us into robots, dehumanizing both teachers and students.” (Gettysburg College, 1) Standardized test are given to schools by the government. The problem with that is that the government is not in the classroom with students every day. They do not know what the students need. Standardized testing takes away time from student learning experiences where they are not able to think critically or be creative. Standardized tests take place in an artificial learning environment. They are timed, students are not allowed to ask questions, use references, talk to another student, and they cannot even get up and move around. All of these things do not mirror the reality of the real world at all. These tests are reducing the richness of human experience and human learning to a number/ set of numbers. A student may have a deep knowledge of a particular subject, but receive no acknowledgement for it because their test score may have been low. Maybe if students could draw a picture, lead a group discussion, or make a hands-on project, they could show all the knowledge that they really have. They cannot do any of these things in a standardized test. As stated before, testing also creates “winners” and losers.” The “winners” get to move on with their life, but the “losers” often suffer from loss of self-esteem and the damage of “low expectations.” Standardized tests do not value diversity either. There are a wide range of differences in the people who take standardized tests. People have different cultural backgrounds, different levels of proficiency in the English language, different learning and thinking styles, different
It seems obvious that no student particularly likes any sort of test, but the question is whether or not standardized tests are doing more harm than good. The concern of many educators and parents is that these tests are diminishing any sense of creativity a student may have. Eric Sheninger states his concern,”…we inch closer to an educational system that focuses on test scores as the number one determinant of achievement.” (Sheninger). He has a very valid point. Once you limit a person’s sense of achievement to the score they get on a test, you are risking their entire self worth. Maybe a student is not very good at biology, but they have a very creative eye. What does a standardized test have to show that? Our entire education system now is made up of scientists and mathematicians who have to see numbers and measure things for them to exist. You cannot measure or grade creativity so of course standardized tests do not see these things as necessary, but does this mean they are not important? In 2014 the Fort Lee Board of Education in New Jersey decided nearly unanimously to get rid of some art and home economics classes throughout the high schools and middle schools. These classes consisted of woodworking, power mechanics, dance, foods, interior, fashion and graphic design and auto maintenance. In place of all these classes, the board decided to put in STEM, this stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students are required to take two of these classes to graduate (Shkolnikova). The board had to get rid of things that “weren’t a necessity”, but shouldn’t each student individually decide what is a necessity depending on their career
Ninety percent of secondary schools in the world today use standardized tests with only a 60% passing rate. Ankur Singh, a high school student, was ready for his Advanced Placement Classes (AP) but found that his excitement would soon turn into frustration and failing grades. Singh went into his class expecting to analyze character and themes of literature, but instead he found his entire year to be filled with 50 minute, questions based essays to prepare for the upcoming standardized tests. Rather than continuing his outstanding previous pattern of academic excellence, he began to do very poorly in his AP classes. Singh expressed his frustration by stating that all of his AP classes taught specifically around college preparation and standardized tests rather than focusing on genuine learning. He continued to state, “I’m not being challenged. My classes are easy. All I have to do is memorize the textbook and spew it out on the test. I’m not learning anything. I’m not growing.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/09/one-teens-standardized-testing-horror-story-and-where-it-will-lead/) Not only do parents and students disagree with standardized tests, educators are finally standing up against it. At Seattle Garfield high school, the teachers unanimously decided to not administer the reading and math standardized tests. Teachers sent letters to the parents giving the parents an option to opt out of their student taking the test. Teachers comment that these tests are “inappropriate measure of teacher’s effectiveness of teaching.” (http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/when-parents-yank-their-kids-out-of-standardized-tests/281417/) Hiss, a former dean of admissions from Bates College in Lewiston, ...
Standardized testing is not the best way to measure how well a teacher teaches or how much a student has learned. Schools throughout the United States put their main focus on standardized tests; these examinations put too much pressure on the teachers and students and cause traumatizing events. Standardized testing puts strain on teachers and students causing unhealthy occurrences, Common Core is thrown at teachers with no teaching on how to teach the new way which dampers testing scores for all students, and the American College Test determines whether a child gets into college or not based on what they have learned during high school. Standardized tests are disagreeable; tests should not determine ranking of people.
Throughout the United States standardized testing is a popular way that educators measure a student’s academic ability. Although it may seem like a good idea to give a bunch of students the same test and see how each one does, it is not that simple. The results do not represent how smart a student is or a student's potential to do great things in the real world. In taking a standardized test one student may have a greater advantage over another for many reasons. Reasons that are not shown in the standardized test score.
Standardized testing is not an effective way to test the skills and abilities of today’s students. Standardized tests do not reveal what a student actually understands and learns, but instead only prove how well a student can do on a generic test. Schools have an obligation to prepare students for life, and with the power standardized tests have today, students are being cheated out of a proper, valuable education and forced to prepare and improve their test skills. Too much time, energy, and pressure to succeed are being devoted to standardized tests. Standardized testing, as it is being used presently, is a flawed way of testing the skills of today’s students.
I believe these students are examples as to why standardized testing should not measure your
My personal feelings on this matter is that a child should not be taught in order to take a test to tell if they fully understand a subject matter. I feel this way do to my own personal experiences with standardized testing. When I was in second grade I was assigned to AIS English, because of the scores I received on the state test were lower than recommended for a child my age. I remained in AIS English until High School when my parents signed a permission slip allowing me to no longer be a part of it. Throughout all of my schooling my best grades were always in my English classes, I even went on in college to become an English Major and I graduated with honors from my program. I do not feel that I belonged in AIS English, because of one test that I did poorly on. Clearly given my personal relationship with English, the AIS English classes were not needed. How I personally feel towards standardized testing may cause conflict if I decide to work in a school setting that promotes standardized testing. I would have to put aside my own personal beliefs in order to help students to succeed in their
We affirm the resolution, “On balance, standardized testing is beneficial to K-12 education in the United States.”
The definition of success and routes to success may be different, but it is undeniable that all people want to succeed in their lives. According to Malcolm Gladwell, success is seen as an achievement coming from hidden opportunities, effort, diverse backgrounds, or culture legacy, in life. However, I believe education is one of the factors that contribute the achievement of individual. There are flaws or inequalities in the United States’ education system, and one of these is the use of standardized test which is the issue that comes in between individuals and their successes. In order to increase the chance of success for individual, standardized testing should be revoked from the education because it does not measure the creativity and knowledge of students which play important roles for the one to succeed.