Standardized Testing Problems

The Problems With Standardized Testing “If the purpose for learning is to score well on a test, we’ve lost sight of the real reason for learning” (pinterest.com, Fulbright). The government has failed in providing students in public schools quality education. Putting an unnecessary amount of pressure and stress on students and teachers with an extensive amount of standardized testing is uncalled for. If standardized test were removed from American education, teachers would feel like actual teachers, not drill sergeants, and students would feel eased and eager to learn. There is disagreement about the effectiveness of standardized testing between school reformers but overall if there was less emphasis on testing, students might be more interested

Standardized tests do not define how smart you are; they just show what you learned. Students are usually drilled with material and practice tests endlessly until teachers believe they will do well on the test. Constant stress from preparing for standardized tests on students and especially teachers is unnecessary. It makes students not want to learn and it makes teacher not want to teach. Standardized tests are a limiting factor to each students’ qualities and ways of learning.

Standardized tests are not an accurate measure of one’s true knowledge. Diana Ravitch, author of “Obama’s War on Schools,” states “Standardized test scores can provide useful information about how students are doing. But as soon as the scores are tied to firing staff, giving bonuses, and closing schools, the measures become the goal of education, rather than an indicator” (20). Many people are afraid for the future of public education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was put in place by George W. Bush because the theory was that scores would increase dramatically if every student in grades third to eighth were tested every year (Ravitch 20). Public education will eventually be destroyed if NCLB sticks around. “A Test Worth Teaching To,” written by Susan Headden, is

Ravitch explains students’ interest in school reduces due to the infinite hours devoted to test preparation (21). In Susan Headden’s article “A Test Worth Teaching To,” discusses how students are drilled for months until the test. Students must be able to retain all the material that was previously taught to them in order to score well on the test at the end of each year. She says students began to feel a massive amount of pressure from their teachers and schools because they represent them (Headden A14). Putting an extreme amount of pressure on students makes them want to give up on