Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

We shouldn’t have to take standardized tests because they don’t provide any feedback on how to perform better. The tests treat everyone who takes them feel identical, they don’t make you feel different. These tests make create a huge amount of stress on teachers and students. Most test takers can handle certain levels of stress but others can’t handle any amount. There should be other options that schools and colleges could use or get rid of the tests all

Standardized testing has been ruling over the lives of students, making or breaking them in their education without fair judgement. Tests like the SAT and the ACT count for way too much when applying to colleges, which in turn limits the student 's capabilities to thrive in an environment that would benefit them. There are many problems within a standardized test that deems them to be unreliable as a true test of knowledge. Although designed to test groups of students on intelligence, standardized testing neglects to fairly acknowledge the abilities of each unique student which reflect their true capabilities.

There are many valid arguments, deeming it unfair to multiple parties. For example, those who speak a different language or have immigrated to the United States cannot easily be equipped to handle the standardized testing well known to our community, because they do not have enough time to master our language before being thrust into the testing realm. Special education students are also discriminated against, having to take the same standard of testing as their peers who do not have special needs. Standardized tests also don’t measure anything outside the scope of what is deemed meaningful education. “According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that standardized tests cannot measure include "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, integrity."” (ProConorg). There is also the argument that teachers are just “teaching the test” rather than instilling our young generation with predominant qualities needed to be successful in life. These tests, according to studies done, are narrowing the curriculum taught, and increasing the price on testing, making it difficult on our educational system’s budgets. Some believe that

Not only does standardized testing limit students from attending the college of their dreams, it also puts a large amount of stress on students and teachers and the test do not test for necessary skills needed in the real world. With this current system, students are limited to what schools they can get into. By only allowing students with a certain score into a school, this makes it unequal to all students. This then does not allow students that have potential in classes at that college to truly be happy at the college they end up in. The test seems to determine an individual’s potential by their ability to retain information they learned in years past. Not every career will require in depth knowledge of algebraic formulas or scientific methods taught in school, therefore, to require students to test high on the ACT or SAT when the career they want to pursue may not require certain knowledge that is tested seems illogical. By making standardized tests less important in determining college admission, all students would have equal opportunity to attend the college they want.

"If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guaruntee you that." said Michelle Obama, according to brainyquotes.com. Standardized testing is everywhere. Children as young as eight years old take these tests in which all test takers are given the same test no matter what their specific needs are. At some schools, these tests determine whether you move on to the next grade and even if you graduate. However, is this really fair? While some students perform exceptionally, others do not. I think students should not be required to pass a test at the end of the year to move on to the next grade or to graduate because not all students test well. These tests can also add additional stress and anxiety to a student's life, and they are unfair to non English speakers and students with disabilities.

Although standardized test has thrived for decades and being told that is the most objective way to test how much knowledge that students have dominated, it is also being placed under extreme criticism in recent years. A group of people, who reject the idea of placing children under measurement determined largely by striking numbers, initiated many organizations to prohibit standardized exam, for instance "Just say no to test!" (http://www.fairtest.org/). This nationwide hot debated also inspired Katrina Vanden Heuvel(2013), an American editor and publisher since 1995, also a frequent commentator on numerous political television programs, to write a published article "Stakes on standardized testing are too high" about Opting out of standardized tests, supporting the present changes of fundamental education.

Like Bert Lance one said, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” This is the way many people feel about standardized testing. To them the tests appear to be a reliable and harmless way to measure students’

Standardized testing has been a major debate for over sixteen years and is still going on in some districts all over the United States. The debate is over who agrees with having standard tests in their schools and who doesn’t, although it’s mostly parents and guardians rather than students who are debating this. There are many pro’s and con’s to having standard tests in schools such as the student is too stressed to be motivated to do their work properly or perhaps it could be because the student suffers from depression whereas on the other hand, teachers are being able to tell where a student is truly at in the course and can help them get back on track and understand what it is that they are learning.

Students shouldn’t be measured by what they get on standardized test since it doesn’t show other things that the students are good at. The author wrote, “ Contrary to popular assumptions about standardized testing, the tests do a poor job of measuring student achievement. They fail to measure such important attributes as creativity and critical thinking skills.” (Opposing viewpoints in Context pg.1) The author’s main argument is that standardized tests do not show the other skill that students, schools or programs have that isn’t shown just through a test. That Standardized testing doesn’t effectively measure the achievement of students. In his or her article, the author puts what achievement is but what is based on standardized test and not other things. A lot of attributes are not measured from the standardized tests. There are some places that have rewards for “shallow thinking” (Opposing viewpoints Pg.3)

High school students across the United States stand by their mailboxes, waiting anxiously for the envelope containing the score that will seal their academic fate. College admission hinges on how well students perform in standardized testing. However, standardized testing has long-standing problems of bias, inaccuracy, coachability, and misuse. Because of these flaws, the college admission process places too much value on standardized test scores, such as the ACT and SAT, and are therefore insufficient predictors of a student’s potential and future success.

I have spoken with an expert on the matter, a popular high school senior, Kaitlyn Wessels, whose knowledgeable opinion and personal experience with standardized testing offers great support for my proposal. By describing standardized testing as “an unnecessary stressor” in a student’s life, she firmly believes that my

“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching. ”- Unknown Standardized testing is frequently thought of something that is useless and boring but in reality it is one of the most beneficial things to happen to this country’s education system. Though many may argue against this claim, their evidence does not suffice. Standardized testing helps teachers assess their students knowledge and know what she/he needs to teach them.

Standardized testing put a lot of stress on students. It is unnecessary due to the fact that many students are being held back for not passing it. When I was in high school, I never took all honor classes because I was intimidated from my peers. I was afraid I was not smart enough. I stressed the most towards the end of the year, because I am worried about passing the standardized tests. The purpose of standardized tests is to show the state what the students learned in school. There are other ways to see what the students learned in high school besides testing. I do not think standardized testing is necessary to graduate high school. Although standardized tests is an effective way to see what students have learned in high school,

Picture a monkey, elephant, and fish all being told to climb a tree to pass a test. It seems like an unfair advantage, right? That’s because it is, and standardized tests have the same effect on students. The dispute of whether standardized tests should be given to students or not has been going on since these tests were first given. Students should not have to pass a statewide standardized test before graduating because every individual has a different way of showing knowledge, students get test anxiety, and everyone possesses different learning levels.

If someone was to ask you “how do you define student achievement?” what would your answer be? Would you say student achievement is measured by state achievement tests? Or would you say that student achievement is too complex a subject to be objectively measured? There are many important skills students must be taught, and we need a way to effectively measure if they are in fact learning those skills. However, standardized tests cannot effectively show the learning of all students, especially those that are not good test takers. And of those skills that are tested, there are an endless number of arguably more important skills that aren’t being valued because they cannot be calculated. Furthermore,