Academic Argument Essay
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School
University of Louisiana, Lafayette *
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Course
101
Subject
English
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
5
Uploaded by BrigadierRat2150
1
Teachers Should Not Be Held Responsible For Standardized Test Scores
Rayne Babin
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
English 101
Professor Nihal Bouabida
November 29, 2023
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Teachers Should Not Be Held Responsible For Standardized Test Scores
Standardized testing is a type of test that requires all students to answer the same
questions in the same way to receive an accurate score. This is why standardized testing has
become an important method in education. Teachers play a significant role in preparing students
for standardized testing, as they have a major influence on the test results by effectively
establishing different strategies to ensure students are well-prepared for these tests. However,
since standardized tests do not accurately reflect all students' different methods of learning, they
do not provide an accurate evaluation of a teacher's effectiveness. Therefore, teachers should not
be held responsible for their students' standardized test scores, as the pressure of preparing kids
for these tests could limit the development of other important skills such as critical thinking and
problem-solving.
The need to meet specific standardized testing standards makes teachers feel an excessive
amount of pressure from their school's administration to improve their students' standardized test
scores. Teachers reduce the curriculum and focus on topics covered on standardized tests,
restricting students' learning possibilities not covered on the test. This indicates that teachers are
no longer teaching students through "long term projects, reading physical chapter books, solving
problems, computer programs, etc. … Teachers are teaching students by giving worksheets with
questions formatted identically to the standardized tests" (n.d., 2019). Teaching strictly for
standardized testing is harmful to students' development of other essential abilities such as
critical thinking and problem-solving. Neglecting important curriculum subjects and lessons not
on the test prevents the challenges that allow students to think critically. This creates a fixed
mindset in students, discouraging them from applying what they have learned to unfamiliar
problems or situations that are not covered by the test.
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However, standardized testing allows teachers to demonstrate expertise by evaluating
student accomplishment and learning outcomes. Standardized test scores indicate student growth
because they are based on the same common and consistent assessments based on predetermined
standards. Standardized testing also reveals students' strengths and weaknesses, providing
teachers with feedback on how to improve their teaching methods. Standardized testing data
provides school administrators and teachers with an overall comprehension of what their students
know, allowing them to identify significant weaknesses in their children's learning. Teachers can
use their knowledge of these significant weaknesses “to identify subjects they might need to
devote additional teaching time, and to create individual assessments … helping them to sort
their classes in ways that enhance individualized student learning” (Fuglei, 2014). Teachers use
standardized test scores to compare their students' performance to other students in the same
grade level to find areas where students need extra assistance and modify their lessons
accordingly. However, using standardized testing to improve teaching methods is the worst
approach for teachers. This is because kids take these tests towards the end of the school year,
and the results do not arrive until months later when their students advance to the next grade
level and the teachers are teaching a new group of students.
Standardized testing has been used to help teachers understand the strengths and
weaknesses of their students in the classroom. It is excellent for identifying areas that require
additional support and pointing out areas where teaching techniques might have to be changed.
However, it is not an effective strategy for teachers to use when they need to make a change to
their teaching methods. The primary reasons are that it takes a long time to receive test scores
and that it does not provide an accurate evaluation of a teacher's effectiveness. Nonetheless, it is
critical for teachers to guarantee that their students obtain a specified standardized test result.
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