...Should public schools continue standardized testing? The United States government implemented the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), signed into law on January 8, 2002 by President George W. Bush (US Government Printing Office, 2002). This Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. In order to receive federal school funding, states must give these assessments to all students at select grade levels. The Act does not assert a national achievement standard. Each state develops its own standards (US Government Printing Office, 2002). Since the creation of this act, various debates challenge the practical use of the standardized tests. The debate presented for this paper is an argument, “Should public schools continue standardized testing?” The favorable arguments are that the standardized tests are fair, backed by parents, improves the quality of the curriculum, and the usage of standardized tests outside of the public education system. The arguments against standardized testing are stereotyping poor performing students, testing anxiety, low morale with teachers, and basing teacher evaluations on student performance. Additionally, ethical, moral and legal issues are identified in relation to standardized testing and their effects on high-stakes testing. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the given arguments, both for and against standardized testing from different sources and to conclude with a consensus of the arguments with the authors of this...
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...A large part of the American public school system relies on testing in order to test students’ knowledge and learning, but how accurate are these tests in measuring learning and are these test beneficial to learning? These standardized tests may actually do more harm, than good to students’ education. The first problem with standardized testing is that they only measure whether a student can perform well on a test on one specific day. “High-stakes tests are unfair to many students. Some students simply do not test well. Many students are affected by test anxiety or do not show their learning well on a standardized test, resulting in inaccurately lower scores”(Fairtest). Some students may be better test takers than others and therefore may...
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...A Position Against Standardized Testing I am a mother of two elementary school age kids, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) board member, and actively involved in my children’s education. I have often asked why there is so much emphasis on standardized tests. Growing up, we took standardized tests but there was no real preparation work or stress over the test. We didn’t even know until the week prior that we had testing coming up. Back then teachers taught and engaged their students in learning all subjects because they loved teaching. We learned not only what was minimally acceptable to pass a standardized test, but much more beyond the testing requirements. I am very interested about high stake standardized testing in our public school system because it seems my children’s curriculum is solely based on concepts they need to learn to pass their standardized test. Rather than teaching to our children who are eager to learn how to be higher-level thinkers, we seem to be teaching them to accept a minimal standard and simply learn how to pass a test. Today, I see our children being given pretests and benchmark tests to see how well they will do on the standardized test. I witness teachers under pressure to make sure they get the curriculum in prior to the test and students being drilled repeatedly for the standardized tests. Our children come home stressed and concerned because in some states, these tests can determine if you are from moving to the next grade level,...
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...What role should standardized testing play in Texas' public education system? The methods by which children are educated and academically measured in Texas have evolved over the past few decades, due to federal and state directed education policies. In an effort to establish accountability and improve the nation's competitiveness on a global scale, standardized testing has become a driving component of curricula nationwide. Almost every state, including Texas, governs its public schools under a national policy directive known as the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB). The NCLB requires all states to utilize assessments to determine and report if a school has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) in the proficiency levels of all students. This is a relatively recent shift from local control of schools to centralized governance which is intended to improve education and eliminate harmful disparities in education quality (Ricci 342). Instead of school districts determining education standards, the state and federal governments provide the policy direction. One method to assess education performance and compliance with the centralized policy is the use of accountability measures - i.e., standardized tests. The NCLB, coupled with state policy, is intended to decrease inequality and set an objective measurement in place where school districts, schools, teachers, and even students can be held accountable for their progress or lack thereof. However, there are arguments from opponents...
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...They believe that schools are more concerned about the test scores than their children from actually learning. In Texas, students must take the exam another day or receive a zero. (Webmaster) How could these parents keep...
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...Abolishing Standardized Tests Standardized tests should be abolished from schools. Standardized tests, like SOLs, are hurting students more so than they are helping them. These tests put a lot of stress on teachers and students. Test scores are used to show school improvement and how well the school is academically. Schools try to raise their test scores to make the school look better. In order to raise the scores teachers are being forced to teach to test. Teachers are only teaching students what they need to know to pass the test. These tests are forcing a curriculum and that is unfair for both teachers and students. There are many students who want to learn more and there are also teachers who want to teach more and go more in depth in a subject but they are unable to because they are required to just teach them how to pass a test. In class we hear our teacher say all the time, “...but you don’t need to know that it, it won’t on the test.” Many would think that standardized test is helpful to students because the main goal is to pass, and move up a level in school, but in reality students do not benefit from this at all because their sole purpose in learning these specific subjects are only by temporary memory. Standardized tests are so important in a students success in school. Whether or not the pass the tests determines if they pass the class. A student could do really well in class and then fail their test at the end of the year then in turn, fail the class. Not...
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...Standardized Testing Do you like taking that boring Standardized testing every year? Well I don't. Why should we? Standardized testing should not be allowed in schools because kids don't take the tests seriously, also kids and teachers cheat on the tests and schools get punished if their school don't have good scores . The first reason standardized testing should not be allowed in school is because kids won't take the tests seriously. The majority of kids does not take the test seriously. They know it doesn't affect of ABC grade so they say it won't hurt my grades so they fill in in fast and move on. There's no way you could get an accurate score. That causes false test scores which leads me to my next reason. Next, why standardized testing...
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...Controversy over High-Stakes Testing Hannah DeBose Dr. Tzipora Katz EDU-505: Contemporary Issues in Education 10-28-13 Alfie Kohn article on Standardized Testing and its Victims has some great key points. The article is divided into 8 key fact points. Fact 1 brings to light about how frequently the students are being tested and how big of a role theses test play a role on student progress. Kohn provides numerous examples to substantiate his concern that the tests are politically driven, inappropriate as measures of learning substantive skills, and counterproductive. Fact 2 describes the life of the student, number of parents living at home, parents' educational background, type of community, and poverty rate all have a factor on student. We debate this issue because it is not fair that student of a low poverty school does not receive the same benefits as the more privileged schools do. Students living in high poverty environments are mostly to dropout, do poor on test, and have harder time grasping information. Many low poverty schools do not have the educators that they should have. Meaning they may have uncertified teachers, or many first year teachers. Many teachers go to high poverty school Fact 3 Norm-referenced tests were never intended to measure the quality of learning or teaching. This type of test identifies whether the test taker performed better or worse than other test takers, but not whether the test taker knows either more or less material...
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...Standardized Testing- How Beneficial is it? Student Name Toulmin Model Position Paper English Comp II – 112 Phaire Due Date – mm/dd/yy Word Count – nnn Outline Position Statement: Is ‘No Child Left Behind’ a valid method of assessing school, teacher and student performance? No, I do not think this act is a valid method to assess school, teacher and student performance. Rhetorical Context: This issue will address all the problems that are occurring because of the standardized testing which is taking place in all public schools. This issue is important to parents who have children going to public schools because it gives them an overview of what is wrong with this act. It is also important for the teachers and school administrators since they take some part in shaping the curriculum around standardized testing. Audience Analysis: The audience for this essay will be the parents because they are able to make changes to this act. Many parents may not understand the problems that this act is causing which can be quite harmful for their children. Many parents let the government make laws for the schools, because they think if the government is doing it, it must be right. Claim: The ‘No Child Left Behind’ act is not a valid method to assess school, teacher and student performance. Reasons: There are many reasons why ‘No Child Left Behind is not working. 1. The same tests are used for all students...
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...Standardized Testing: An Ineffective Way to Measure Students’ Intelligence High-stakes testing turns many classrooms and schools into prep centers rather than offering rich, engaging, well-rounded instruction. Rote and narrow instruction bores and alienates students, making them tune out and feel they are little more than their scores (FairTest, 2004). High schools exit exams (FairTest, 2008) push many thousands of students out of school. As a result of these factors, urban graduation rates have decreased. Some students see no realistic option other than dropping out; some are deliberately pushed out or fail the tests. Either way, these young people are much more likely to end up in trouble or in prison. ("How Testing Feeds the School-to-Prison Pipeline") According to Peter D. Hart, a research associate for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, standardized tests unfairly measure students’ intelligence and academic performance. Therefore, the tests must be changed drastically or abandoned completely. Educators and parents have vocalized their view on the rising number of standardized tests the government has implemented in efforts to improve education in American schools. In light of the No Child Left Behind legislation under President George W. Bush, the government administers more and more tests to children, predominantly in lower grade levels ("Standardized Testing"). Along with No Child Left Behind, opponents have shown their disapproval of these...
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...strict emphasis on standardized testing. Many advocates of this policy argue that standardized testing increases student performance and accountability in public education. Standardized testing creates testing anxiety for the student and the teacher, that hinders performance. Standardized testing under the original policy only mandated for reading and math assessments. Reading and math standardized test dismantle education holistically. Teachers of other subject begin to decline in importance and don’t receive the same amount of classroom resources as reading and math teachers. “This emphasis would result in increased educational focus on the subjects of reading and mathematics, while taking away instructional time from subjects not covered by the law” (National Education Association, 2010). 44% of public schools have decreased the amount of time spent on science, social studies, and arts by about 145 minutes per week to focus on law mandated tests (National Education Association, 2010). When evaluating No Child Left Behind many of the flaws drawn from evaluating are a result of the policy implementation. These penalties and requirements were never tested, so there was no proof...
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...sleep, and breakfast one needs prior to taking the annual standardized achievement test. Once again it is time to test what children have learned this school year, so that state and federal government can decide if children, teachers, and schools measure up to government standards. While achievement and standardized test are meant to improve the quality of education by measuring the performance of students, teachers, and schools; they hinder our children’s education. “The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, signed into law by (former) President Bush on January 8, 2002, is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the central federal law in pre-collegiate education” (Education week, 2004, Para. 1). The NCLB was put into place to enhance the public education system in America. NCLB stipulates criteria to improve the performance of students, schools, and teachers by evaluation through annual achievement tests. Determined by the results of the standardized achievement tests, schools are rewarded money from the federal government to implement and improve their curriculum. While NCLB is essentially for every publicly educated child, this law targets student groups with low level test scores such as: minority, English language learning students, poverty stricken students, learning disabled, or any student with a disadvantage that effects his education. The NCLB law required annual testing of all third through eighth grades in mathematics and reading...
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...Standardized Testing and Its Effects: An Annotated Bibliography The first standardized test was administered by Horace Mann in the nineteenth century as as a result of the concern with the educational reform in America (Gallagher, 2003). Although the students’ results were disappointing, this lead to the movement of using standardized tests throughout curriculum. In spite of the controversy, the popularity of this form of testing has increased greatly over time. The debate on standardized tests has been an ongoing issue throughout history. While some believe that these tests are an unjust, incorrect way to measure intelligence, others suggest that standardized testing is a vital part of the educational process. In order to gather an unbiased...
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...Answers, with Visuals Paying students to pass standardized tests has been in the works for a while now. The idea of paying students a financial incentive to pass standardized tests came from families who would give money to their kids if they brought home a report card with good grades. Offering students some type of financial incentive to pass standardized tests would get the students attention. Most students don’t care whether they pass or fail school, offering them money in exchange for scoring high on standardized tests would give students a reason to pay attention and pass standardized tests (Flannery, 2015). Motivating students with a financial incentive is a good way to get them to pass standardized tests (Bettinger, 2008). Problems with Standardized Testing Standardized testing ramped up in 2002 from the No Child Left behind Act. This act was going to hold public schools to a high standard of education, by measuring the students’ scores on statewide standardized tests. The reasons that standardized tests are a problem is from the following reasons: 1. Test scores can’t accurately measure learning: Standardized tests does not allow students to express themselves because they are multiple-choice. Open-ended tests would allow students to express themselves. 2. Standardized testing eats up instruction time: High school students spend 29 and 45 days per year taking tests. This does not include preparation time. Schools have eliminated courses that are not tested...
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...I believe that the greatest challenge schools are facing today is the stress of standardized testing. Standardized tests were put in place to set higher goals for schools and their teachers. This idea is a positive one, but not when it puts too much pressure on administrators, teachers, and students. The scores schools achieve on these exams determine how much government funding they are able to receive. This only leads to a harsh and stressful learning environment. The multiple choice layout of these tests cannot determine what a child knows or what kind of education he or she is obtaining. Teachers are beginning to base their lesson plans around these tests and taking extra classroom time to discuss correct test-taking skills. This change results in the loss of creativity and variety that makes learning enjoyable for students, as well as their teachers. Many schools are removing art and music classes from their curriculum to create more time for the subjects students are going to be tested on. The additional time added to cover test material takes away time for hands-on activities that involve critical thinking skills. Some educational reformers suggest asking questions on standardized tests that can be answered without limits, so each child can express him or herself....
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