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The importance of standardized tests
Standardized testing and its effects
The effect of standardized testing
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Students all around the world are having to take a variety of tests in order to move on to the next grade level in their school life. These tests are also commonly known as standardized tests. The tests are offered starting in third grade and continue throughout the high school years. These forms of standardized testing have been looked at in both a positive as well as a negative point of view. The tests can be good by showing where students are and what they've learned, but they can also be bad since they only give what the normal is. Standardized tests have run their course throughout many years and have not attained the results we have hoped for. (GPA, SAT, ACT...RIP) In schools today, students are given a variety of standardized tests at the end of the school year. This test(s) results of one school are used to compare what an individual school has scored compared to what other schools score in the …show more content…
This might be contradicting what was discussed earlier. These tests do not take into account how the student learns, what method is best for them to comprehend the material or topic. If the student has taken the test to the best of their ability and capability, the results will be an evaluation assessment which then gives instructors a better idea of what their students have comprehended and what they need to work on to be successful to pass the exam. The instructors would be able to format a plan of action which gives every student a chance to improve their skills in the topics they scored poorly on and work only on these areas using the student’s teaching method as well as teaching test taking strategies into account. In doing this, scholars will have the skills they needed to do better on the evaluations next time
Standardized tests have been around for quite a while now, and are used by a large number of schools. These tests are developed by large educational companies, and because they are distributed to such a large number of schools, they’re used as a standard with which to compare students from the state in which they reside, or across the U.S. Most of these tests are fill in the bubble, multiple-choice, versus essay tests, which are more expensive for the schools to have graded. Some of the better known standardized tests are: SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Test), CAT (California Achievement Test), ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills), and TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills).
“Students are taking between ten and twenty standardized tests, depending on the grade. A total average of one hundred thirteen different ones by graduation.”(Locker) A few years ago the United States, along with other nations, was given a test to assess the academic strengths and weaknesses of each nation and rank them accordingly. When the results were released and the United States was ranked near the bottom, it was decided to start incorporating more testing through school. Between benchmark, TLI, PARCC, and common core standards, teaching technique was forced to change. Standardized testing has had a negative effect on teachers and students, implementing inadequate grading standards and the common core curriculum, such testing has made
Standardized tests. We’ve all heard of them. Most of us have taken them, and hopefully passed them. But how many of us really know what they are. In other words, what exactly is a “standardized test”? If you ask a hundred teachers or other members of the educational community, you might get 50 different answers. The truth is, according to a well-respected glossary of educational terms, the definition of a standardized test is “any form of test that (1) requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions, from (a) common bank (of) questions, in the same way, and that (2) is scored in a ‘standard’ or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.” (QTD Great Schools Partnership). The questions are usually multiple choice in nature and they are graded the exact same way. This makes it possible to compare data from person to person and year to year.
The use of standardized tests is not something new. Everyone should know about their importance and the emphasis put on them, along with the stress that follows. There are multiple choice tests, high-stakes tests, and the dreaded time-limited tests. It is true to say not all tests are created equal; however, every one of these tests has serious flaws. Standardized tests are unfair because they fail to measure students' abilities, they cause an unnecessary amount of stress, and there are too many incentives to teach the test.
Throughout one's educational career, students are required to take standardized tests to show their progress and if they meet certain requirements they could qualify for higher educational opportunities. Some common standardized tests include: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), and Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Standardized tests are designed so that each person taking the test has the same chance to do well, so that the scores can be compared to one another. There are many positive and negative results from standardized tests. It can be difficult to see if the standardized testing is beneficial or a hindrance.
According to the article, “the trend in federal, state, and local education-policy circle has been to require more and more standardized exams as a way to establish common benchmarks of achievement and to hold schools accountable for their students’ progress (Edwards, 28).” However, many states have removed the mandatory exams and/or consequences due to low test scores, reducing the emphasis on standardized testing and diminishing the stress on students in those states. According to the article, the issue of the effectiveness of standardized testing is still being heavily debated.
Many people agree that standardized tests are a reasonable evaluation of a student’s capability. Standardized tests originated in the mid-1800s, in the American education system. W. James Popham defines standardized testing by “any test that’s administered, scored, and interpreted in a standard, predetermined manner” (“Is the Use of…,” 2013). After the No Child Left behind Act (NCLB) came about in the early 2000s, the use of standardized testing became popular. NCLB required yearly testing for specific grades and subjects. If schools did not demonstrate adequate improvement, they were either closed or run by the state. This was done so the state and the tax payers of the schools knew that students were learning and knowing the material. Tax payers especially wanted to make sure their money was going to good use (“Is the Use of…,” 2013). High scores on standardized tests can result in funding for the school, along with bonuses to the facility and staff of the school.
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.
“Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent students do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” This quote by Diane Ravitch really sums up what is wrong with tests like the ACT, SAT, and other standardized test. Many students do not have the spare time between other schoolwork and activities. For students who have to take these standardized tests, it takes away time to study from school, many can not work well around the numerous activities that they have going on, and it causes stress that you will not be good enough for a college education.
One of the biggest topics in the educational world is standardized tests. All fifty states have their own standards following the common core curriculum. There are many positives and negatives that go with the standardized tests. A standardized test is any type of “examination that's administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner” (Popham, 1999). These standardized tests are either aptitude tests or achievement tests. Schools use achievement tests to compare students.
Standardized testing is very stressful for students and their teachers, especially for gifted and talented students. Standardized tests affect what the teachers are teaching in classrooms and what students are learning in school. After all of this stressing from the students and teachers, and the tests aren’t even a good representation of the intelligence of students. All of these issues have led to some people believing that standardized tests aren’t as helpful as we may think.
It’s an age-old question. Do standardized tests really show what students know? Some may think they are a great way to measure education and others may think that one test does not justify a child’s knowledge. What is this test exactly? A standardized test is any test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way. They are used to “judge” or “measure” the knowledge or skills that students learn in school. The problem with these standardized tests is that they measure all students on the same material, leaving out special skills the student may have. It also puts a great deal of stress on a student to know that they will be timed on these questions that
After President George W. Bush passed the No Child Left Behind legislation, standardized tests began to make an appearance in most United States’ public schools. The purpose of No Child Left Behind was to ensure students from elementary school through high school are tested in math and reading. In an attempt to make sure that all children were receiving fair and equal educational opportunities, as well as, determining if students were successfully mastering content knowledge, students began being forced to take standardized tests during elementary, middle, and high school. Standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT require that all states set a standard of achievement for all students. Additionally, standardized testing requires that all test takers to answer the same questions or a selection of similar questions from a common source.
Standardize testing is the concept in which test scores are imagined as essential for addressing and understanding shortcomings related to educational system within America. In 2001, “The No Child Left behind Act” had initiated the foremost annual requirement of standardized testing on nationwide basis. The test was made compulsory for the students from class 3 to 8. The law of standardized testing got expired officially in 2007 and no legislative or little momentum exists to make its reauthorization possible.
“If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.” This quote by Michelle Obama illustrates the idea that standardized testing should not have such a large influence on education in America. However, a majority of people are under the impression that standardized tests are an accurate method to measure a person's intellectual ability. I believe that standardized tests have developed into a very critical part of the American education system; that is hindering the growth of students and teachers instead of providing a tool that can accurately measure knowledge.