Standardized Testing Is an Unreliable Measure in Schools

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By definition, a standardized test is any test that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. Schools use two main types, aptitude and achievement. Aptitude tests are meant to predict how well students are going to perform in a subsequent educational setting while achievement tests are to evaluate a school's effectiveness. Standardized tests have been a controversial issue in the United States since the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing in all 50 states. The use of these tests has begun to not only affect the form of education but the level of knowledge students are taking away from their educational experience. Although standardized testing is used throughout the country, it is an unreliable measure of education and is dramatically changing the curricula causing a creativity crisis.
Standardized testing is an unreliable measure of schools and should not be used to measure student learning, achievement gaps,and/or teacher student quality. They are unfair and discriminatory towards students from low income and minority­group backrounds; english language learners and students with disabilities. According to W. James Popham, an expert on educational assessment, “if children come from advantaged families and stimulus rich environments, then they are more apt to succeed on items in standardized achievement tests than other children whose environments don't mesh as well with what the tests measure” (W. James Popham). Low­scoring students are not given the attention they need and they are not challenged or supported. Instead they are given “dumbed­down” curriculum which only causes the students to fall further behind. Meanwhile children with average scores
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...procon.org/, 11/1/2013 9:27:50 AM PST. Internet. 3/24/14.
Problems With Standardized Testing. http://www.education.com/refrence/article/Ref_Test_Problems_Seven/, Updated on November 4, 2013. Internet. 3/24/14.
Daniel Luzer, Pacific Standard: The Science of Society. What Kills Creativity?. http://www.psmag.com/culture/kills­creativity­standardized­testing­children­69137/, November 04, 2013, 10:00 AM. Internet. 3/24/14.
Fairtest, The National Center for Fair and Open Testing. How Standardized Testing Damages Education. http://fairtest.org/how­standardized­testing­damages­education­pdf, Submitted on August 28, 2007 ­ 11:04am. Internet. 3/24/14.
W. James Popham, Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational­leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why­Standardize d­Tests­Don%27t­Measure­Educational­Quality.aspx, ASCD, 3/24/14.

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