Why Standardized Tests Are Not Really Reliable Assessments

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Recommended: Standardized tests do more harm than good

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.
There are many issues one might face when about to take a test, some students may "have something major interfering with their ability to focus, may miss or not perform well" (Baxter,Mella). No test score can show what that kid has been through, over come, or is going through at the time of the test. There is also no way to show how many hours each student studied. Just because a student does not perform well on one test, should not foreshadow their future.
Tests have been taken and the results are shown to be biased towards students from wealthy areas, most likely because they can afford more educational resources then students from poor areas. “The private test preparation market for the SAT and the ACT is a $2 billion-a-year industry in the U.S. “(Westervelt ,Eric ). Families living in suburban neighborhoods typically have a higher income than those living in urban neighborhoods, which enables them to have more resources. This is an unfair advantage because not every student is being set up for success.
If everyone could afford a tutor then those who cannot would most likely have higher SAT and ACT scores. Tutors can teach students tricks on the SAT and ACT. Thes...

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... (2013): 633-9. ProQuest. 16 May 2014 .

"Study finds high SAT and ACT scores might not spell success at college." PBS. PBS, n.d. 18 Feb 2014. Web. 17 May 2014.

Rooks, Noliwe M. "Why It's Time to Get Rid of Standardize Tests." Time N.p., n.d. 11 Oct 2012. Web. 15 May 2014..

"The Standardized Testing Debate: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly." TakePart. N.p., n.d. 22 Feb 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.

Westervelt, Eric. “College Applicants Sweat The SATs. Perhaps They Shouldn’t::NPR” NPR.org , 18 Feb 2014. Web.17 May 2014.

Einstein, Albert, Interviewed by Ofer Chermesh, “Albert Einstein Interviewed about Dyslexia – Dyslexia Writing”, Gohotit, 8 June 2010. Web. 20 May 2014.

“Colleges and Universities That Do Not Use SAT/ACT Scores for Admitting Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor Degree Programs” Fairtest.org. Spring 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.

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