Standardized Testing : Damaging Our Education System

Standardized tests are a waste of time and money. Have you ever sat in a classroom for hours on end stressed until everyone in the school is done taking a test? If you said yes you have probably taken a standardized test. Students shouldn't have to take standardized tests anymore for the following reasons. Standardized test are very expensive and you would also have to pay for the prep. They are also unreliable and are not a good source for the administration and school. Lastly they cause a ton of stress on students, teachers, and the school.

Standardized tests are hurting our educational future. They were implemented for reasons such as evaluating teachers, schools, districts, and so forth, and to determine if students should advance to a higher grade. What standardized tests are actually doing is taking over students’ education. Different levels of the educational system are continuously requiring more tests to assess various objectives, without any evidence that these tests are benefiting students. The effects these tests are having on the education are crippling. Teachers are under a surmountable amount of pressure for their students to achieve high scores, since their careers are in the hands of them. Teachers are reverting to unethical practices to protect their careers. Valuable education time is lost with preparing for and taking of these tests. Students could advance their education further and quicker with less preparation and tests. These tests are not an accurate assessment of students’ abilities since they only assess few subjects. Comparing students’ on only a portion

The use of standardized tests is not something new. Everyone should know about their importance and the emphasis put on them, along with the stress that follows. There are multiple choice tests, high-stakes tests, and the dreaded time-limited tests. It is true to say not all tests are created equal; however, every one of these tests has serious flaws. Standardized tests are unfair because they fail to measure students' abilities, they cause an unnecessary amount of stress, and there are too many incentives to teach the test.

When I was younger I always saw my older siblings dread going into highschool and I never understood why. I mean, you get more freedom, you can drive, and you’re that much closer to graduating. What’s not to like? Well, let’s just say I was too young to understand everything that went along with high school. The loads of homework, being in sports, having a job, and trying to have a social life along with your busy schedules. On top of that, you can’t forget the horrid tests every high school student is forced to take. The SAT, ACT, ITBS, MAP, and COMPASS tests are just a few of the tests we have to take throughout our four years. Two of those tests are optional, but the rest are mandatory. You’re given a set amount of time

Countless Science Fiction media from works of literature to movies have introduced and reiterated the plausible future that awaits humanity were its rapid technological progression to continue. More often than not, the extraordinary circumstances depicted in such creations describe a population whose thoughts are controlled by a system in one way or another. Characters lack in personality, creativity and free will, capable only of regurgitating information fed to them and mirroring the other members of the work’s society as best as possible. As extreme as the human condition may be in these stories, the idea of unifying the way of thinking and establishing standards, I believe, is present

Standardized testing is a large part of the education system today. Most schools take at least one every year. The tests were put in place with good intentions, but overall failed as a way of raising standards. Standardized tests should be removed from our schools because they have a negative effect on most school environments, effects both students and teachers emotionally, has yet to be proven to increase overall educational performance, have been proven to be biased in multiple studies, limit the creative ability that is used in the classroom setting, is not an accurate measure of a student’s intellect, it takes up valuable class time and results in overall counterproductivity.

Standardized testing is used excessively in the United States to determine where a student should be placed. It determines what classes a student should take, how the school is scoring as a whole, and even provides information on how well a teacher is teaching the material. However, there seems to be a huge argument on whether this type of testing is actually beneficial. One controversial argument is that it only proves how well a student is able to memorize the material that they are given. These standardized tests are also interfering with other exams, like the AP tests, that students find more important for their future. There are situations where students will get anxiety just thinking about a test while others find it very easy. A better method to test a student’s abilities would be to use assessments where the teacher can see the areas that a student continuously struggles in so they can help the student improve their skills. Therefore, despite the over usage of standardized testing within our education system, the reality is that these tests don’t determine the efficiency of the system of education that schools use and doesn’t provide a helpful evaluation of the student.

Standardized testing was first implemented in schools by Lyndon B. Johnson via the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, these tests are nothing new (ProCon.org 2015). However, in recent years, the number of tests given has skyrocketed in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. These horrid tests include Florida Standards Assessments, or FSAs (and other state-specific tests), end-of-course (EOC) exams, Advanced Placement Exams (AP Exams), and college entrance exams (ACT and SAT). From Pre-Kindergarten to Twelfth Grade, students must take and pass variations of these tests in science, math and reading in order to be considered successful in school (Hart 2015). Due to this fact, the word “standardized test” has earned a negative connotation amongst students -- who fear that these tests will determine their future -- as well as teachers and parents. Standardized tests are given too often, reduce creativity in schools, and are a poor representation of student’s abilities and

Education today plays a totally different role than it did 20 years ago. Today, education is available to everyone and is a clear, almost assured pathway to self-improvement and a better life. Yet, it seems that as of the last decade, education no longer provides the free range of unlimited interests it used to. It seems like today, the more students want to learn, the less opportunities they have. All due to the education standards created by the government that regulate learning through test-based reforms. Standardized subjects, tests, and classes are a very common function of this time. However, contrary to popular belief, test-based reform, overall, has not improved schools in the United States.

Standardized tests are critical to our nation’s education system as they hold teachers and schools accountable to students, parents, and taxpayers, are perceived as generally fair, and contain some critical thinking and creative merit.

Another scenario when standardized testing wins the debate is when defenders state that a single, annual score helps schools to create a more efficient and higher quality of analysis and comparison. According to Aldemain,

Imagine being slouched over a test booklet thinking,”A,B,C or D, which one is it?” Who wants to go through that? Standardized tests are not necessary for student to take. They stress out some people, testing takes to long to complete, and the results take too long to return.

Anya Kamenetz, an education scholar, focused this interview on the effects of standardized testing in schools. Specifically, the negative effects it has on the quality of education children get. She dives into the pressure schools face to attain high test scores and the problems associated with teaching to the test. She concludes the interview by explaining changes the school systems could make in order to limit this. Other sources have complementary evidence, so it’d classify it as reliable. Kamenetz also has a blog and has written a book on her case against standardized tests. This article mounts her bias openly by focuses on the negative aspects of standardized testing to get listeners to understand its impact on schools. This source can

The American education system is in a crisis. The quality of education has declined over the years and test scores are plummeting (Cozic, 13). The system of high school education was designed over fifty years ago that of which met the needs of students at the current time. Now in the twenty first century, that same system is not teaching or meeting the needs of students today. It was designed so that every student learns the same material at the same rate as everyone else (Gates, 1). The problem with this is that every student is different and learns in different ways. What one student may understand could be completely challenging for another. The students that are more advanced than others should not be held back and the ones who are not as advanced should be able to learn at a slower pace and get the help they need. Nobody is the same or learns the same and schools need to understand that. All students should be able to explore in any depth of education that they wish. Another factor that does not allow this is standardized testing. These tests that students are required to take has led to the restriction of their education and are limited to their range of skills and knowledge since the main focus is math, reading, and writing (What’s Wrong With High School, 1). The scores from the tests unfairly classify the students’ knowledge and can harm their academic achievements Cozic, 46). Even with the preparation for these tests, scores are still low. Students’ time

By definition, standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same selection of questions. Test takers get scored in a “standard” or “consistent” manner where all students get marked the same and measured to the same rubric. These tests are known in Ontario as the EQAO, OSSLT, etc. Educators use them as a way to measure students and schools. Yet, these tests aren’t beneficial to anyone other than the government and companies. Their enforcement creates more stress than necessary in classrooms. They’re used to measure important things such as education in Ontario, but they’re flawed. Standardized testing should be abolished because they create harmful environments for students and teachers, they provide us with inaccurate results and aren’t helpful to in any way to students.