...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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...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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...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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...law mandated high-stakes student testing, held schools accountable for student performance, and set penalties in place for underperforming schools. Eight years later, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was launched (Sass). The Common Core Standards Initiative claims its purpose is “To ensure all students are ready for success after high school, [by establishing] clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12th grade”. Drafted by expert teachers, the Common Core Initiative Standards strive to prepare the United State’s youth for success in primary education, secondary education, and the rest of their lives (“What Parents Should Know”). In essence, the Common Core Initiative Standards created a checklist of what teachers needed to instruct in order for students to perform well on standardized tests. Now, instead of being able to change lesson plans to suit the needs of individual classes, teachers are forced to stick to a schedule. “Teach-to-test” is a common phrase referring to the Common Core Initiative Standards’ system of...
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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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...important role in the US agenda for many years. In January 8th, 2002, the US Congress passed a law called “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB), which expanded the role of federal government in education. This law strongly emphasizes the implementation of standardized tests in public schools to measure the progress of students as well as to hold teachers and schools accountable for students’ progress. A social problem that the NCLB is trying to fix is the fact that the quality of education in US’ public schools has decreased during the last years. Alarming statistics have shown that the country’s education system is not as internationally competitive as it used to be. For example, according to a report issued by the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States has slipped ten spots in high school and college graduation rates in the past three decades (CFR). Poor education affects the entire country because of the close relation that progress has with having a skillful workforce. Furthermore, other social problems, such as poverty and crime, are indirectly related to inferior education. An extensive body of research has found that people with less schooling tend to work and earn less as adults, are more likely to receive public assistance, and have poorer health (‘Education and Poverty’). Poverty has also been proven to be the number one cause of crime, which is yet another social problem affecting the US. By directly improving education standards, stakeholders in this debate...
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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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...education system that provides a solid educational foundation for America’s youth. The government’s use of education policies to help better America’s education system many say has failed along with politicians attempts to solve this problem. In this paper we will be searching for an answer to a question that plagues many concerned parents and many politicians as well: Has the education policy failed in the United States? In order to answer this question we must look back on the historical background of the issue, we must review the past and present policies in place and we must identify the proposed solutions. It is our intention, with this research, to understand why or why not our education policies have failed America’s youth. There is a major problem in America and it is not one that is hard to spot if you are a concerned parent looking at your child’s test scores, a student enrolled in America’s public schools, a politician seeking to pass a new policy or even a concerned citizen, because when it comes to building a strong, intellectual country Americans’ know we need an education system that adequately prepares our youth. With so many statistics showing the decline of test scores it is not hard to identify the educational problem in America. However, there are many different beliefs as to why the education policy is failing in the United States; however, there are also some people who believe it is actually helping the U.S. Some people believe that “public education...
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...Like everything else in North America, the North American educational system is a colonial institution that draws inspiration across various politically active decades to create the modern-day education curriculum that we entrust to prepare each generation for the future. But this institution, like most, is flawed. Flawed in a way that the public tends to overlook. While it claims to foster a child’s intelligence, subsequently, it hinders that child’s imagination, discourages their critical thinking capabilities, and create a false view of world perspective. Our modern-day education system is killing creativity due to its emphasis on standardized testing, stigmatism on incorrect answers, and its disregard of individualism. The North American...
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...of Education” What effect does standardized testing have on student performance? Since the 1800’s standardized testing has been a part of the American education system, and today it’s a way of life for students. Studies have been performed to determine the effects of standardized testing on students, as well as teachers, yielding both positive and negative effects. Regardless of the effects, one thing is certain, standardized testing has been awhile for years and is not going anywhere. Cons on testing are pretty much obvious, with the first being stress, from the child as well as the teacher. As a student who has taken many standardized test, I know how stressful this experience can be. Studying all night for the test, worrying about it all day, second guessing answers I know are correct and then the wait for the results, to see how you scored against EVERY other kid in the tristate area. Tests like ACT and SAT are the most stressful, because they determine your life. What college you get and even possibly your career are on the line at the results of a test you take one day in your life. Let’s not forget these results are public record, any school and or prospective job could view them, any one could view them. Imagine not getting a job because of test scores you get when you’re a teenager in highschool. Everyday more and more stress are added to the teachers to prepare these students for this test. Many a teacher and school have come under scrutiny with these...
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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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...Standardized Testing: Debunking the Myths Trestin M. Holmes Wiley College ENGL 1302 08 OL-English Composition Dr. Don Lawson November 17, 2014 Abstract The purpose of this research is to thoroughly examine the myths and preconceived notions pertaining to standardized testing and compare it with factual evidence. The criteria that will be used to accurately analyze this study will consist of evaluating the overall effectiveness of standardized testing in terms of student achievement, estimating how much of a financial burden standardized testing has proven to be in past years, and observing the adverse impact that standardized testing has had on children from a statistical & realistic standpoint. This will undoubtedly give insight on how much of a detriment standardized testing is in today’s society. Standardized Testing: Debunking the Myths What is Standardized Testing? A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. Any test in which the same test is given in the same manner to all test takers is a standardized test. Thesis Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800’s and its use has skyrocketed since the induction of 200’2’s “No Child Left Behind Act”...
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...United States and Finland educational systems and their outcomes. Almost every American will agree that the U.S is in dire need of change within its education system. I have chosen to compare our system with Finland’s because they are at the top of the list when rated by Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2008). The PISA evaluates students from different countries to measure the knowledge of students who are closer to finishing high school. There are a few major differences in each system which sets one apart from the other. First is how each system is funded. Second is standardized testing in the U.S verses personal assessments in Finland. Lastly, the general outlines of the systems themselves. To begin, the U.S. educational system is governed by individual states. However, there are multiple options for attaining an education in the U.S. Some of these options are: public schools, private schools, charter schools and home schools. States typically put regulations on curriculum for public schools and receive funding from U.S. Department of Education and state taxes (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Private schools determine their own sets of regulations, policies and curriculum and these rules are created by the board of trustees. Charter schools are funded publically by groups, communities and organizations and can create specialized systems to meet the needs of special populations...
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...Standardized Tests Sections I and II Sammy North DeVry University Standardized Tests Sections I and II Brittany, an honors student in Atlanta, Georgia, had worked hard her entire academic career to celebrate what would be her proudest moment in high school: commencement. She wanted to walk across the stage to the flash of cameras and the smiles of her family just like her classmates, and then journey off to a college in South Carolina where she had already been accepted. So she gathered her proud family members from Chicago and Washington, D.C., to come to share in her joy. Brittany watched as her classmates put on their caps and gowns and walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. But she did not, and instead waited all during the day to get a last-minute waiver signed. She continued to wait through the night, but it never came. She began to realize that if she graduated, it would not be quick or easy. Her problem was that she had not passed one of four subject areas in the state’s graduation test, which students must pass to earn a regular diploma. She is not alone. Thousands of students, such as Brittany, every year do not make it across the stage at graduation due to failing these state tests. And many of them, such as Brittany, were honors students who had fulfilled all the other requirements of graduation except this one (Torres, 2010). Stories such as this one are far too common and should not happen. We have the power to change the status quo, so that...
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...Argumentative Paper about Our Failing Education System By Randall Faircloth The Reasons why I Feel that Our American Education System is failing us is because of the over-dependence of Standardized Testing, Students not being taught the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s world, and Teachers are only teaching the requirement of Rote Memorization, and not applying it, The Public School system doesn’t offer an even playing field for children of all Socio-economic status, and The Public School system is teaching a Neutral curriculum where Morals and Standards don’t exist, because no matter what All Children of All Races, and Religions need to be taught values, such as treat others the way you want to treated, and the good teachers...
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