Arguments Against Standardized Testing

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Abandon Standardized Testing
Just about everyone has some experience with taking a Standardized test, and most likely the experience of taking a standardized test was a terrible one for everyone involved. They are terrible for teachers and students alike. Standardized tests should be abolished in the state of Wisconsin because standardized tests cause teachers to feel the need to teach to the test, taking the fun and creativity out of teaching and learning. Also, standardized tests are only beneficial and geared towards middle and upper income background children. Student tests cannot reliably, validly and fairly be used to judge educators. However, Others may say that Standardized tests are good because there are no biases that could affect …show more content…

This idea is backed up by the article written by Aaron Churchill entitled “Bless the tests: Three reasons for standardized testing” describing why standardized testing is good. The article written by Churchill takes the position that standardized testing is good beneficial and provides an objective measure of a students abilities, and it does so through the use of Logos by using logic and facts. Churchill’s reasoning for this belief is shown through the quote from the article that states “... They [standardized tests] assess students based on a similar set of questions, ... given under nearly identical testing conditions, and are graded by a machine or blind reviewer… [standardized tests] are intended to provide an accurate... measure of what a student knows…” the article goes on to mention that “... teacher grading practices can be wildly uneven across schools… For instance, one… teacher might be… [a] lenient grader, while another might be… hard…” (Churchill). Also teacher grading can be influenced by other factors as well. For instance, favoritism towards certain students, classroom behavior, participation, and attendance can influence the grade that a student receives; Which, is a reasonable counter argument that standardized tests are good. However, it does differ from my thinking in that I don’t think that teachers wouldn't let the grade of a student be affected or altered by favoritism or in class behavior or the lack thereof. Churchill uses logos in his argument because he backs up his notion through facts and logic. Churchill also uses ethos because is has the authority to write on this topic owing to the fact that standardized testing is a main focus of his

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