America Must Eliminate Standardized Tests and Reduce Homework

All parents want to see their kids succeed in school. However, by the time a student graduates they will then feel a sudden urge of relief after have encountered a significant amount of pressure throughout their high school years. The pressure is not only received by the school, but by society and the parents as well. Several students have experienced staying up long nights to finish homework, a loss of interest in a hobby, or an academic burnout at one point. It is common sense for one to say that school is not easy. Between trying to manage homework from all of their classes, studying for multiple different tests at once, and trying to maintain a decent social life, school can become very stressful for a young person. Too much pressure should not be put on high school students because it can lead to academic failure, truancy, and depression.

A 2004 Mediamark survey found that more than half of American teenagers reported they were ‘stressed out all of the time or sometimes.’ More than two thirds of teens said that their biggest cause of stress was schoolwork, which beat out every other category listed” (66). Here the author makes a statement and gives a support after it immediately. Using the statistic data as her evidence, she is able to demonstrate credibility by proving her point to be true. This also overwhelms people trying to refute because it is hard to argue against

You know what? A great amount of students think they should take fewer standardized tests! Standardized tests take up too much time! Yes, these tests DO make it easier to see if students are doing their work, but they also make the students’ teachers confused on what their students need help on.

Alfie Kohn’s book, The Case Against Standardized Testing: Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools, presents a dispute against the standardized testing that is used to assessment the academic performance of schools. The text is highly political slant in contradiction with the standardized testing. Kohn’s argument stated that test should not be used in high-stake ways that is be given to school today or in the past. The text is written in question and answer format where the author is able to defend his theory. The author’s attempt is to clarify the fault with standardized testing as a method of evaluation students and teacher success in the classroom. Kohn also offered his ways of dealing with the situation, which may be out of some teachers’ comfort zone, or label as unrealistic goal due to certain factors within the school system such as budget and resources. The outline of the argument focus more of educational leaders, and lawmakers who put this policy in effect. Kohn believed that standardized testing does not measure the level of teaching and learning. As we noticed from previous lessons, standardized testing is a method of evaluation teacher, which I believed is an inaccurate way of determine the level of learning and teaching. The point made in this book about standardized testing only prove that school lower their standards in order to achieve their goal of passing these assessment and testing.

Lynnell Hancock in the article,“Why are Finland’s Schools so Successful?” looks in with the rest of the World, on the small country’s recent educational achievements. Finland’s youth are beating out historically academically strong countries. Hancock crafted a detail-oriented and emotionally strong article that credits the prosperity to the perseverance of the Finnish people. The article explains the structure of the educational system and the power of the teachers. While it also is able to show how the students of this divergent educational system are able to not just learn, but succeed in the learning process.

The average student takes 112 standardized tests before age 18. Most students believe that this excessive testing is to harsh. In some school systems testing can start in kindergarten and even starts as early as preschool! Testing should be reduced because students get too stressed out, they stay up too late studying and they don’t get good grades in other classes. I think that when we have this much testing then we don't get to do much learning and we don't get the knowledge we need. Kids also do not get to do things that can be good for mental health such as, sports and music.

While different in what they carry, everyone carries stress. Students carry anxiety for the upcoming tests or assignments; teachers are overwhelmed to prepare for their classes or to properly educate their students. Although they all wake up, moaning, complaining, and muttering “I hate school”. they all carry hope for new term. In the end, despite the tedious routines, they carry the responsibility to be motivated, to be focused, and to try their

“One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat” -Napoleon Hill. Homework is work that is assigned to a student from a teacher. Standardized tests are tests that are very long and very important not just for you but for your teacher too. Those who do not think homework and Standardized tests should not be in schools get bad grades and that causes you to not know what is going on during class and for your teacher to not know if you really know what you are learning or not. Homework and Standardized tests should be in schools because it helps to learn responsibility and it isn’t just for the students it’s also to evaluate teachers.

Anticipation of the unknown is a true explanation for most of a freshman’s anxiety upon entering high school. Is it anticipation? Compared to the feelings that are acquired throughout a student’s high school tenure and being a senior, most freshmen do not realize the great amount of work that lies ahead. The amount of homework, activity participation, sport participation and worries of achieving and maintaining a good grade develops tension. Though, throughout the years these students are molded-by their work, their parents, and their peers. So what do juniors and seniors in American high school deal with? What have their stress levels become-- and why?

Standardized testing is an unfair assessment of teachers in America. Every year, teachers have to hand out standardized tests to their students. These tests measure how well a teacher is teaching his students, and if he successful or not. This is unfair because there will always be a few students in every class that do not try very hard because they do not like school. This hurts the teachers’ scores when they receive their evaluations, and because of this, we feel that there should be an alternative solution to assessing the success of teachers.

Around the time of 1914, a professor of Kansas State University began to develop the idea of standardized testing. Within these tests, it would provide an opportunity for teachers to chart the growth of their students throughout the years. As the teacher's plot our prosperity, the state officials are watching their abilities on how they are informing students. From a student's perspective, the testing should be banned as it causes stress and anxiety towards students.

Gaining acceptance into an adequate college or deciding what to do after high school is the second-biggest pressure in a teenager’s life and 83 percent of teens who took the survey said that school was “a somewhat or significant source of stress (APA).” To explain, Teachers and school figures constantly stress after high school choices on teenagers, often making a them feel as if people want them to make a decision that moment, which can be extremely stressful. As a result, twenty-seven percent of teens reported overwhelming levels of stress during the school year, but that number fell to 13 percent during summer and 10 percent of teens felt that stress had had a negative impact on their grades. Also, under 60 percent said that managing too many extracurricular activities were a significant stressor. Stress in extra curricular activities is another level of stress that teenagers face. Often times, teenagers are pushed to exceeding limits in extra curriculars, usually sports. The constant push to succeed can cause more stress for the teenager. To reduce school work stress in teenagers, teachers should reduce the level of school work they assign to

Schooling itself is too general of a cause for why students are suffering from such drastic changes in their mental state. Students have reported that their main causes of stress in school are tests, getting good grades, completing homework, and managing time (i.e., APA, 2009; Conner, Pope, & Galloway, 2010; de Anda et al., 2000; Lohman & Jarvis, 2000). All of these concerns are what education systems enforce in efforts to increase the student’s future productivity at the college level and in the working world. However, students are convinced that their whole purpose of living is to be a high test score or grade, be accepted it into decent colleges, and live comfortably in a never changing career status. There is also constant changes in the

America is often seen as the mark of progress on the global stage. Many people from across the world aim to land on American soil and experience, in particular, the American education system. It is often high praised for its equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Yet this is a falsity. Under the guises of clothing and a few examples of “success stories”, the impoverished in America have difficulty moving beyond their socioeconomic status. The American system of greed and elitist ideals have overpowered the usual, egalitarian attitude of the democratic nation. Various factors, such as standardized testing, poor upbringing, and stigmatized opinions, all prevent lower income students from being able to achieve the collegiate experience and upward mobility.

There are over fifteen million high school students in American and around half of them are chronically stressed (Leonard). Another survey by the American Psychological Association found that 45 percent of teens are extremely stressed by “school pressures” (Neighmond). Stress can be defined as mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension (dictionary.com). Common stressors include both academic and societal expectations as well as traumatic life events such as parental divorce or the death of a loved one. With homework, extracurricular activities, SAT prep, AP classes, expectations from family and teachers, and school projects, is it any wonder students are so stressed? Academic success and stress play a key role in student’s mental health. Mental health problems, including chronic stress, are the main contributors to suicidal tendencies in students (Rosiek). Academic stress can be lowered by encouragement from parents and teachers, programs that offer coping methods, and increased amounts of sleep and exercise.