...Standardized Testing Standardized testing is probably one of the most bittersweet aspects of American education. On one hand, It helps us set a baseline of where students are academically and what needs to be approved on in average. On the other, it adds a tremendous amount of stress to some students, and encourages the system to lean to a curriculum that “teaches to test”. In this essay, I will discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing and provide my personal opinions on it in the end. Standardized testing does a pretty good job of establishing a baseline of where students land and what needs to be improved on. “Standardized testing gives parents a good idea of how their children are doing as compared to students across the country and locally.”(Columbia University School and Child Care Search Service 1). This also gives us areas that need to be improved on. Another good thing about standardized testing is that it helps teachers know what material needs to be taught during the year. “Probably the greatest benefit of standardized testing is that teachers and schools are responsible for teaching students what they are required to know for these standardized tests.” (Columbia University School and Child Care Search Service 1). Standardized testing improves international rankings as...
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...In the American education system, standardized testing is something that both teachers and students can’t escape from. State mandated test can create many problems within the education system, and result in the failure of students. For Example, “Rather than conceptualizing and retaining knowledge for the long term, students remember what they have to and forget when they no longer need it. It shows a single way of teaching and stifles creativity in the school system” (Armstrong). This shows that students are on a continuous cycle of learning, and testing, learning and testing. This is harmful to both students and teachers because for one, students in the long run are not really learning enough to prepare them for college, and teachers have...
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...Taking standardized tests has put me under too much pressure. The time was coming for me to take the ACT test as my junior year of high school had started. When my brother had taken the test, he had used a tutor to prepare for it, so I decided to use the tutor as well, meeting with him twice a week after school. I had to study for the ACT test, keep my grades up, and stay involved in extracurricular activities, which occupied most of my time during the day. Therefore, spending time for other interests became a challenge as I had little time to spare. I took my first ACT test in December, but soon scheduled another test and returned to the tutor after a less-than-satisfactory score. In my research of potential colleges, it became apparent...
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...Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools that “sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds”. Each child’s brain works differently and each child is capable of different things on different levels. Some minds are more creative than others while some are logical. Standardized tests can open opportunities for some but end opportunities for others. Standardized tests give an equal opportunity for everyone to show their intelligence but they do not accurately reflect students’ abilities because every child has a different learning pace and all children can’t be judged based on a few tests. Every child is gifted with a special talent or ability but are prevented from using it to their full potential because the entire year they are busy preparing for their tests and exams. Standardized tests prevent the creative flow of children and do not nurture their individuality. Each child learns the same thing to give the same exam when each of them have different learning paces and abilities. The systematic way...
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...Nonessential Standardized Testing Should students have to take standardized tests? Although standardized testing is currently used to measure the skills of students, it should be eliminated; because it causes anxiety, teachers focus more on testing than the information needed throughout life, and it judges kids on skills instead of knowledge. Standardized testing causes kids to have high anxiety. In the Midwestern states, a study was conducted using three elementary schools. The study was on the anxiety that mandated tests cause on children and teachers. One of the scales used to measure anxiety was the Children’s Tests Anxiety Scale, also known as CTAS, which assess children’s physiological and disengagement behaviors. CTAS measure...
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...taking more advanced classes. I'm enjoying them, but there is a recurring aspect in these classes that we have to prepare for, and that is an end of the year standardized test. Whether it is the End of course assessments or the AP tests assigned by the college board, they are prepared for by taking class time to familiarize ourselves with the format of the tests and to do practice tests and problems for possible content on the tests. For this reason and other reasons such as, the scoring errors that cost large amounts of money, and the fact that standardized tests are an imprecise measurement of teacher performance, standardized tests should be completely taken out of the education system. To begin with, class...
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...students, and last but not least; witnessing that the stress of the school is rising…You know it’s testing time. This all happens at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Many tests take 1 to 2 days when others, have a duration of 2-3 weeks. As an employee of an elementary school, I have had many years of preparation and participation of such events. All employees must sign affidavits before administration of tests occur, and all materials are delivered and picked up on a scheduled timeframe. “Standardized Tests are a type of exam that assess the student’s capability on the...
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...School Boards and parents rely on standardized test scores to rate a schools and teachers effectiveness. Today the most common example of standardized testing are the SAT and the ACT both attempt to tell how proficient a student will do in college. On a national level these five tests are in use: California Achievement Tests, Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, and Stanford Achievement Tests. What they are trying to do is to create assessment tools that permit someone to make a valid inference about the knowledge and/or skills that a given student possesses in a particular content area (ascd.org) (1). Basically, it is used to compare a student’s knowledge to other students across the...
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...Have you ever realized how many standardized test we take from Pre K to 12th grade? From grades Pre K to 12th grade an average student takes about 112 exams. Every year students take about 8-9 standardized test. For example Knox Middle School takes Istep and Nwea three times a year to see what the students are learning and what the teachers are teaching. The government needs to modify these numbers of standardized test because it is quality not quantity. This essay will discuss that the government should modify standardized test because we take too many, stresses out teachers and students, and the tests take up too much teaching time. First this paragraph will discuss how students take too many standardized test. On average a student takes...
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...The debate of standardized testing has been going on for some time now. A standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students. While different types of tests and assessments may be “standardized” in this way, the term is primarily associated with large-scale tests administered to sizeable populations of students. Standardized tests comprise a very important role in student’s education. Many children will take at least one standardized test every year, which means many teachers will spend significant class time on test preparation. The results can reflection the teachers' efforts as well as that of the students. In some states, standardized tests are the yardstick for determining whether a child gets to progress to the next grade level. Many parents want to know the purpose of standardized tests. The answer is that these tests help evaluate the performance of students, teachers, even whole school districts. The results provide information on a child's ability to learn new material, as well as his grasp of the material he's already supposed to understand. With that information, teachers can identify areas where specific students need more attention, while officials can identify the strengths and weaknesses...
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...Standardized Testing Standardized testing should not be required for admission to college because it doesn't really tell you anything. Why make someone take the ACT, SAT, or any IQ test just to see if their smart enough for college, or to even get in that specific college. Some people don't do well with test taking so they get a bad score. All that really shows if your good at test taking or not. This is why standardized test should be abolished from college admissions. A standardized test is called such because everyone takes the same test with the same questions, so ones performance can be compared to everyones else, in order for a relative score to be obtained (Lurie, Karen. "Standardized Testing.”). The first SAT was published in 1926 and administered 8,040 people. Standardized tests serve to offer measure of aptitude. There are standardized test that can measure school progress, intelligence, memory, and behavior capabilities. Some standardized tests are given to a whole group of people at once, others are given individually. There are also...
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...Abstract Standardized testing does not define ones intelligence or ability. There has always been a quarrel about the tests: students may be very intelligent but are really bad test takers. The No child left behind act was an educational preference forced upon educators that will help them gain an equal opportunity at academic success. The law would promote this through standardized tests. Standardized testing may help students gain wonderful academic success however there are also things that can hinder scholars as well. Standardized testing has its advantages and disadvantages. Over the years standardized testing has been a trending topic, some people are in favor for the test while others are not. How can one test determine an individual’s ability or intelligence when students are people with needs and concerns beyond standardized testing! What is standardized testing? Standardized tests are tests where students answer multiple choice questions where each question only has one correct answer and are usually designed from experience and not theory (How standardized testing damages education ). The tests are based on educational aspects such as reading, math, and science skills (depending upon the type of standardized test being provided). Standardized testing is a law required aspect that is supposed to help scholars academic success and schools expand (with the use of federal funding). Various types of popular standardized test in the United States include Scholastic...
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...Pros and Cons of Standardized Tests Name of Author Institutional Affiliation Pros and Cons of Standardized Tests Regarded as one of the most dependable evaluation techniques, standardized tests have been in existence for decades. They continue to perform essential scholarly function in assessment and appraisal. Majorly, they test acquisition and retention of knowledge, and the way students can implement such knowledge in solving problems. Because they have been widely adopted by most states, the question as to whether they are appropriate or not has been a subject of contest for long. Although many opponents present a number of weaknesses in these tests, the purpose they serve remains significant, and their advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. The first argument against standardized tests is the fact that all students are not subjected to equal opportunities and corresponding probability of passing examinations (Hillocks, 2002). Because these tests are administered in uniform languages in different parts of the world, many students with outstanding knowledge fail examinations for not being eloquent in English or the languages used. In this regard, students who are well versed with content in various subjects may fail to express themselves in languages used for testing (Hillocks, 2002). Further, opponents argue that the tests remain narrow in scope and fail to assess practical achievement adequately. This presents the system as mere paper work compared...
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...31st place in 2009” (Standardized Testing). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed by George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The Act required all United States students have 100% proficiency on state reading and math test by the year 2014 (Standardized Tests). Since this act has been passed by Congress there has been a wide debate over the requirements and standardized test. The No Child Left Behind Act is not an effective educational policy because the teaching focus is on standardized testing, there is a negative impact on students, and penalizing on schools and teachers for not...
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...Standardized testing is a topic that everybody knows all too well because we all have had to experience some form of a standardized test. The two most common and popular of these tests are the ACT and the SAT. Depending in which region you live in, you will take one of those test during your educational career. But, does taking that test really decide how smart you actually are. Eleven years of schooling and one of those tests will decide what college you go to and what you will do for the rest of your life. People have all different types of talents and these test favor the people who are good at school but, what about the kids who are good musicians or good athletes? Why should a test decide how smart they are when the activities that those kids are exceeding in, aren’t on...
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