The Ethics Of Standardized Testing Essay

Standardized testing has become the main component in determining a student’s capability. A test should not determine if the student has a mind that is above average. In the article titled “Standardized Testing: Undermining Equity in Education”, it states, “Qualities such as a student’s sense of citizenship, ethics, confidence/self-esteem,...respect for others, self-discipline,...are not seen in standardized tests.” Every student is unique and has

The purposes of standardized tests are to instruct decision making, establish program eligibility, evaluate course goals, evaluate program goals, and examine external curriculum. When a teacher gives and assesses a standardized test, they gain information about their students that helps them realize what concepts they have learned according to the agenda for the subject at hand. If the assessment is performed in a sensible amount of time and given according to the directions, this purpose should be fulfilled; however, it is a common belief that standardized tests do not work well in establishing where a student stands in a specific curriculum. The test uses a general curriculum that is the basis for the tests

Many students throughout the American education system struggle due to the fact that they have to take a standardized test. But, this struggle differs for each student, some are too lazy to take them while others are having difficulty performing well on these tests. As a student who learned English as a second language, I could relate with the people who are having trouble performing well on standardized tests. When I was in high school there was nothing more frightening than Standardized tests. There was a lot of emphasize on these tests and they had the power to determine my future in the means of deciding which colleges I could attend. But, I wasn’t alone in this matter, not all students perform to their potential on Standardized tests. No matter how hard I tried to study for these tests, I was just not doing as well as my class mates. It made me feel like I was beneath all my other class mates and I thought they were intellectually superior. But, I met other like me who were not good at taking test and didn’t perform well on these

In classrooms all across America, students sit perched over their desks in the process of taking standardized tests. As the students take the tests, teachers pace nervously up and down the rows of their classroom, hoping and praying that their students can recall the information which they have presented. Some children sit relaxed at their desks, calmly filling in the bubbles and answering essay questions. These children are well prepared and equipped to handle their tests. Other children, however, sit hunched over their desks, pondering over questions, trying to guess an answer. They struggle to recall information that has been covered many times in class, but they can’t.

Nearly thirty percent of students in this year’s graduating class will not earn their high school diploma (Swanson). In the United States the rate of college graduation is only thirty eight percent, while in 2010, Canada’s college graduation rate was near sixty percent (Lee). In an effort to help with the problem of achievement in America, President Bush, in 2002, signed the No Child Left Behind Act. The Act called for 100 percent of students to be proficient in both reading and math in state given tests by the year 2014. Some criticized that the act permitted states to define what proficient is. Others criticized the punishments for not meeting the targets that were set, which included closure or privatization of schools,

The decisions made from students test scores are ones that will not only effect their future as students, but individuals as well. Decisions like which students pass or fail, what teachers or fired or given raises and how funds are to be allocated amongst schools. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their socioeconomic background. As a result of exploring different claims of the standardized testing being biased,

Diane Ravitch, former Assistant Secretary of Education, said “We must take care to make our public schools once again the pride of our nation” (Ravitch 260). At this point in time, the testing process that most, if not, all schools have adopted is proving to be an impediment to our education system that many are not proud of. Students today are more focused on getting the grade rather than the knowledge and experience that is needed for their future. Standardized testing, in a nutshell, could be a positive policy for today’s students. The execution of these baseline tests are not conducive to learning or measuring a student’s true ability or intelligence due to the emphasis on passing tests instead of actual learning and critical thinking skills, as well as having the same parameters for every student regardless of their situation. The current state of our standardized education system is leaving our students with a massive educational impairment.

Standardized testing first started in the mid 1800s, testing the amount of knowledge that a student knows when it comes to the three main subjects; math, science and history. The big question is if these tests are accurate in testing the knowledge of the student, or only testing the ability of the student to take tests. Those against say that standardized testing overall is not worth the time and the money for no overall improvement in the students. They believe there is too much emphasis put on testing, causing the students to over stress. Those on the other side of the spectrum argue that standardized testing is the only cheap and effective way to evaluate students and their knowledge. They argue it is a way for them to be able to measure the progress of

SAT and ACT are just two of the standardized testing implemented in our educational system today. The score obtained from standardized testing serves is valid predictors of the success of the students as they pursue higher level of education. As with other standardized testing, data are generated that will hold teachers and school accountable. If the score is low, it’s because there is a need to modify the curriculum or the teacher is not doing their job as educators. But what if

Like the use of teacher evaluation tools like VAMs or standardized testing, the United States is attempting to diagnose academic achievement through the use of standardized testing. As explained by Gratz, “Standardized test scores accurately measure student achievement and [this] constitutes for the full range of goals we have for students.” (78). Disengaged politicians have taken the forefront in determining what the expectations of the education system should be, but the actual application falls

Standardized testing has been called one of psychology's greatest assets by many world renowned psychologists, but it's also been called the plight of psychology by many others. Either way, it is the most widely used inventions in the field.

Opponents have stated that the tests are not objective or fair, that extreme testing challenges the ability to yield students that are critical thinkers, and they support a thin curriculum. Standardized testing evaluates a student’s performance on one certain day and does not take into account exterior influences. The success of a school is contingent on the performance of the students. There are many individuals who just do not do well on tests. Many of these students are understand the content and are smart, but it is not reflected on the test. Standardized testing only evaluates the student’s performance instead of the general progression of the student throughout the year. In this paper I will provide my thoughts on whether or not standardized testing is a good thing or

As everyone knows, there are many trends and issues when it comes to education. First, let’s discuss the current issues in today’s society. Some of the issues receiving the most attention include fairness in education, and the use of standardized testing. Standardized tests are examinations that are scored the same way across the country. They are given to students yearly to decide if they are meeting objectives. A big stress has been placed on the results of these tests. This has effected what students are taught in class, therefore teaching shifts from traditional teaching to test preparation. However, there are people who support the tests' ability to evaluate students' and schools' effectiveness. Yet, testing also has a few downsides. Teachers feel pressure to have

As found during a recent study conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools, the average American student takes one hundred and twelve mandated standardized tests before graduating high school (Layton). Standardized testing has become an increasingly popular method of assessing students at ages as young as six in order to evaluate schools and teachers. However, it has also become a means to control curriculum rather than determine which students need extra assistance and inform the designation of funding, as it was originally intended.

Schools should not be held accountable and given ultimatums over test results but rather given further aid and equipment to teach more efficiently. In the article, Standardized Testing and its Victims, Kohn points out, “To take the cause of equity seriously is to work for the elimination of tracking, for more equitable funding, and for the universal implementation of more sophisticated approaches to pedagogy (as opposed to heavily scripted direct-instruction programs). But standardized testing, while bad news across the board, is especially hurtful to students who need our help the most.” The student should be assessed based on his overall achievements and behaviors. Test scores should only be given part importance and the abilities to focus, create, design, and socialize should be esteemed, modeled, and highly regarded. We can use these standardized test in a positive way, but in order to do so, tests cannot be used as accountability tools or ones to measure achievement. Instead, the whole child must be accessed and encouraged by achievement, not threatened by