In these past few sessions, I have learned a lot of new information concerning standardized testing. For starters, I learned that the purpose of standardized test is make sure teachers do their job, and prepare students for adult life while also making sure they are ready for the following school year. We also talked the different state test (TEAMS, TASS, TAKS, and STAAR). With this conversation, I was surprised to learn that with the TEAMS and TASS, special education students were not tested but, they are tested (but modified) with the TAKS and STAAR. This surprised me, because I personally could not picture my little cousin who has down syndrome taking the STAAR test even if it is modified.
Something I found really important and useful for
Standardized tests are completely unfair. In The Washington Post, Marion Brady argues this issue. She states that students that do not speak English or have special needs take the same tests as every other student. Also, non English speakers are taking these tests without mastering the language first. Special needs students
Currently, standardized tests do not improve the education of students in America. Standardized testing is not an accurate measure of student’s knowledge because they are designed to test an extremely broad amount of students who do not have the same educational background. This makes it incredibly difficult to test students across the world on the same level and expect their scores to reflect their education. Standardized testing, by definition, is any test containing the same questions that is administered to a vast group of people for the purpose of comparing different student’s test scores. This issue is important because it affects the entire academic community, positively and negatively. Therefore, all teachers, students, school staff, and test administrators have some involvement with standardized testing. The vast majority of people in America have taken a standardized test sometime in their life, which makes these tests vital in the
Why standardized tests people say, well in this article a man named Michelle Rhee, A former Washington, DC, schools chancellor has made it clear that everyone should be treated the same. He is saying that having these tests can show people with disabilities what they can do. Having different things for them should not be allowed and is rude. He is trying to get these tests all over the country to show how talented we are. He loves to hear back from the parents. The parents usually say they love standardized test because they get to see how their child is doing. He is also saying that having standardized test is a good thing to have for education. He thinks it tells us how well everything is going. He says,"You can't separate them, and to try to do so creates two, unequal systems, one with accountability and one without it. This is a civil rights issue." This is Michelle Rhee supporting why we should keep standardized test.
Personally, I see two major tripping blocks in Special Education in this article. First, why should a standardized test determine a student’s success in high school – especially a student with
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
Standardized testing has become a controversial topic in recent years, parents, students, teachers, principals and almost anyone who has a relationship with education is affected by this topic. People are either for or against standardized testing, some believe it is the only fair way to compare students others believe that the tests are too greatly stressed in school and are a nuisance to education. Standardized tests are stressed greatly, students learn testing material all year not focusing on anything else deemed unimportant by the test makers. Every student has the same amount of time and question on tests; they also are tested on the same subjects which the test makers believe are most important for children to learn. Standardized tests are used for many things such as ranking students on a national basis and government funding for schools.
To many students standardized testing has become another part of schooling that is dreaded. Standardized testing has been a part of school since the nineteen-thirties; in those days it was used as a way to measure students that had special needs. Since the time that standardized test have been in American schools there has been many programs that have placed an importance on the idea of standardized testing such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Evans 1). Over the years the importance of standardized testing has increased tremendously and so has the stakes, not only for teachers but also students. All states in the United States of America have state test in order to measure how much students learn, and help tell how well the
The course objective of this course, as outlined in the syllabus, is to provide historical, political and social context of the test and standards movements and their relation to assessment practices in Special Education. I chose this piece of evidence because I was able to critically analyze the role of standardized and non-standardized assessments within the school context, understanding alternative assessment requirements for students with disabilities and identify the relationship/correlation between testing practices and the disproportionality of students of color in Special Education. This piece of evidence illustrates my progress in this claim because it allowed me to analyze the article(s), support my analysis with evidence, as well as discuss the implications my understandings of the topic as it pertains to my views, roles and responsibilities as a teacher of Special
“There is something deeply hypocritical in a society that holds an inner-city child only eight years old "accountable" for her performance on a high-stakes standardized exam but does not hold the high officials of our government accountable for robbing her of what they gave their own kids six or seven years before,” quote Jonathan Kozol. As this quote apptly states many children are often robbed of simple childhood pleasures by standardized testing. These strenuous tests should be cut back to the absolute minimum. Standardized tests should not be required because they provide unnecessary stress, are often inaccurate because of computer and human error, and some students, particularly minorities, are at a clear disadvantage.
High Stakes Testing has been overly integrated in the education systems. High-stakes testing are used to determine grade retention, school curriculum, and whether or not students will receive a high school diploma (Myers, 2015). Since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, high stakes testing has become the norm and mandating that students must pass a standardized test before moving up in grade. As a special education director, the focus is to ensure the student’s accommodations are being followed. Accommodations help increase students’ academic performance. “Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) call for students with disabilities to participate in the general education curriculum and in testing programs to the maximum extent possible for each student (Luke and Schwartz, 2010).” Throughout the years, high stakes testing is becoming more common than ever before. The reality is high stakes testing is one indicator in evaluating children with specific needs. This paper will discuss, the violation of the statutory language regarding assessment based on IDEA, the strategies and goals of a remediation, staff training, common Core and PARCC assessment, and funding for the remediation plan under IDEA.
Standardized testing is a method of assessment that public schools have too heavy a reliance on. In order to address disparities that arise when students from different racial and socioeconomic gather in schools that also differ in available resources and funding, the federal government has mandated that public schools teach under standards predetermined by the state. From 2nd grade to 11th grade students are given a multiple choice test on these predetermined standards. These standards set the bar for what students are supposed to know at a certain year in their education. Once these tests are scored, students receive a score of far-below basic, basic, proficient, or advanced. In addition to the administration of the test, the federal government
Every state is different, but in Ohio we require students with learning disabilities to take the same test as their other peers that don’t have a learning disabilities. They are allowed to have extra time and accommodations when testing. Stated in the article Implications of High Stake for Students “It is a challenge, however, for the students to pass the courses and particularly the related high stakes tests that may be involved” (Landers). Students that have a learning disability should be taken into more consideration and have a separate test made for them. They aren’t going to be going at the same paste as their other peers so it is wrong to give them the same test. Data shows that students with disabilities fail large-scale tests at higher rates than other students, which cause them to start dropping
The Effects of Standardize Testing on Students with Learning Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Research Proposal
Standardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay.
Standardized testing is not an effective way to test the skills and abilities of today’s students. Standardized tests do not reveal what a student actually understands and learns, but instead only prove how well a student can do on a generic test. Schools have an obligation to prepare students for life, and with the power standardized tests have today, students are being cheated out of a proper, valuable education and forced to prepare and improve their test skills. Too much time, energy, and pressure to succeed are being devoted to standardized tests. Standardized testing, as it is being used presently, is a flawed way of testing the skills of today’s students.