Standardized Testing Case Study

The average high school student takes at least one standardized test each school year. Standardized tests are all scored the same way and test takers are given the same questions. The scores students receive play a big part in whether or not they will be accepted to the colleges they apply to. Standardized test scores are one of the most important things colleges look for when reviewing applications. Standardized tests could be successful, in theory. However, they have shown to be less accurate than hoped, to cause copious amounts of stress, and to have little to no correspondence with productive adult lives. Because of their ineffectiveness, colleges should place less importance in them when admitting new students.

     The SAT are standardized tests, formally called the Scholastic Aptitude Tests and are used by most colleges

Standardized testing is not made to test every student. These tests often ask one sided, bias questions. Claims have been brought against standardized tests in court due to bias. How are they supposed to measure the ability of every student when every student is different? Students learn differently and preform differently depending upon the type of test given. Some students are stronger with essay questions, some with matching, and some with true and false. Some students could not even know the material but get a multiple choice question right through process of elimination. How is this a fair way to measure knowledge? It is not fair to the students that actually study for these tests and know the information required.

I definitely agree with Judge Jerry Baxter’s decision to incarcerate the teachers accused of cheating on standardized testing. Nine out of ten teachers who were brought before Judge Baxter were sentenced anywhere between one and seven years in jail. These, so called, “educators” were accused of giving students answers and erasing and changing answers on tests after they were turned in. Overall, the behavior of these teachers showed poor moral conduct and most likely ended up “ruining” their students education.

Some would argue that standardized tests test everybody on the same level and it shows how well the students are taught by the teachers. This is true but not everybody learns on the same level and some don’t take tests very well.

Standardized testing in the United States started in the mid- 1800’s (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). This kind of testing was originally created to measure students’ performance and progress in school (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). In recent years, the public school system has relied heavily on the information this test provides, in doing so creating controversy. Other than being a student myself, and participating in multiple standardized exams such as, CSAP, ACT, and SAT, I do not have much background knowledge on this debate. The debate over standardized testing has raised this inquiry question: What are the effects of standardized testing on the United States public education system?

GED, SAT, ACT, and more test are standardize tests. Students need to take this test in order to graduate from high school or college. In American society, standardize tests are test that schools use to measure students’ academic achievement, or to show whether students are ready to progress to the next stage of their educations. While the test is designed to measure student’s ability, many people are concerned about the use of the tests. Standardize test can measure students’ knowledge, but it is not meant to be testing students’ creativity and other skills. I believe that the schools should not over use the standardize tests because standardize tests can only measure small part of education. Also, the test does not value diversity and is unreliable

The SAT is a standardized test which over a million students take per year. This test supposedly was made to determine, approximately, how well freshmen in college will do. Although, studies have shown only twenty five percent of test takers scores actually match their grades (O'Shaughnessy). The SAT is unnecessary and unfair for students applying for college because it prevents diversity in schools and big businesses only care about the profit from the test.

Alarming is an understatement when it comes to the anxiety and stress standardized testing brings. Students are told how vital these tests can be to college acceptance, class placement, and school ranking, so it is no surprise that they lead students to become stressed out and anxious about taking the assessments. According to education researcher Gregory J. Cizek, "illustrating how testing... produces gripping anxiety in even the brightest students, and makes young children vomit or cry, or both" (2). The affect standardized testing has on students is unacceptable, no students should be anxious and uneasy about going to school due to a test. To continue, the Sacramento Bee reported that "test-related jitters, especially among young students,

M., & Barton, K. (2003). Assessing Students With Disabilities: Issues and Evidence. Los Angeles: The Regents of the University of California. Retrieved from http://cse.ucla.edu/products/reports/TR587.pdf

Project STAR began in the fall of 1985 with the random pairing of over 6,000 kindergarten students and 325 teachers being assigned to one of the three types of required classes.

We go through K-12 education in Michigan and other states such as Illinois and take examinations that are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner and allows for comparisons to be made among schools in regards to student achievement, ensures accountability for teachers, and has the ability to inform instruction for educators. In today’s society, standardized testing in schools should not affect nor predict a student’s success. Students should be able to grow up, attend their dream college, get their dream career, and not have to carry the weight of their standardized test scores to prove their success. This topic is a social action because an individual (a student) or group (schools) behavior that involves interaction with other individuals.

The way I take a standardized test is the night before i will study the subject that will be in the test so I can be prepared when I am testing. There will be some problems I struggle in when I am taking the test but I do my best to solve it out. I consider my self and good tester because because I am always about 60% prepare when I have to take a test. I feel like I have always been a good tester because I feel like I am always prepared to take a test I don't struggle as much when I am prepared. The way I prepare my self for a standardized test is I will ask the teacher to give me a few problems that will be on the test to keep on practicing until I feel prepared. The night before I will review a few problems that I think will help me out

SAT testing was created based off the Army IQ testing originally named, “Scholastic Aptitude Test” (Berger, 2012, p.168). Around the 1930s it was used “… as a scholarship test for Ivey League schools.” (Serious, 2014). The test was designed with the goal to open up admission to colleges based on being the brightest individuals not the richest. In “1990 the College

Supporters of the test may state it is a good base or “key” to use and gage a student when looking to gauge their academic skill level. Swing to the other side and it’s unsurprisingly easy to find the reasons to oppose the test. Reasons include that the test prevents some students from unlocking their full academic potential due to their lack of easily available resources. Lack of these resources could be due to financial situations or a person’s ethnic background. Studies show the SAT cannot predict a student’s performance in secondary school. These studies examine and exhibit to us (the viewer) that the SAT lacks in showing a student’s true qualities and work ethic. Segregating students based on a test prevents a student from possibly unlocking their full potential. Students judged by their SAT are not the only ones missing out on potential academic success, the future of America loses the chance to further educate the next generation of potential