Standardized Testing Defining an individual’s ability and a school’s worth because of standardized testing is nonsensical and erroneous. However, this is what goes on every year nation wide since the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in 2001. The data has come in and it can be clearly read that standardized tests do not work. These tests are holding some children back and have let the United States slip behind in education compared to the rest of the world. The biggest counter argument being that standardized testing takes objectivity out of student results. Standardized tests are an antiquated idea that has hurt more than helped. The No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law 2001 by then President George W. Bush. The Act …show more content…
Several teachers’ unions ranging from New Jersey to Florida goals are not to directly get rid of No Child Left Behind but, to alter it getting rid of standardized tests and the consequences to teachers if the students fail. In the Article from the New York Times it quotes Jeffery M. Stonecash as saying, “The revision would take the heat off of them [teachers].” (Taylor 2015) This quote is referring the consequences that teachers face if their students do bad on the test. The effect on teachers from bad standardized test grades can be any of the following: loss of job, reduced salary and loss of control of their work life. While teachers’ professional lives are effecedt a major worry is the home life will also be affected. In 2017, 1500 teachers that were part of the National Education Association (NEA) report more stress, different eating habits and more pressure to succeed on these tests. Additionally, out of the 1500 teachers surveyed, 72% felt pressure to improve the scores also 42% believed that the emphasis placed on improving test scores negatively impacted their classroom. (Zimmerman 2017) For students, the stress can be far worse. The average American student will take approximately 112 standardized tests by the time they graduate high school compared to the 3 a Chinese student will take. In the 2014-2015 school year eighth graders alone spent an average time of 26 hours on tests taking 10 …show more content…
With all the standardized tests that the American youth face; students are becoming non-free thinking and have declining retention skills. With students having to spend an ever-growing amount of time on test prep it is taking away from other subjects. With the focus being on math and english other programs fall to the way side like history and the arts. The test prep needed for all 112 standardized tests makes schools narrow their curriculums. (Strauss 2014) The major things to be cut to help boost these numbers are history, second languages, the arts, and computer programs. The standardized tests also increase stress in students. The major factors in this increased stress can be broken down into simple reasons. The whole school year can be focused on test pushing making the student feel like everything in life is riding on a good score. The students realize that these tests are what gives their school money and keeps their teachers working furthering the stress on the student. During these tests the school is almost put into complete lock down. This lock down restricts students from using the bathroom, getting water and can have more restrictions based on the outline laid out in the test guidelines. This added stress has led schools to have pep rallies and major school events to help prepare students to make them ready for the upcoming week. The largest and most negative effect is the decrease in student creativity. The