...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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...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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...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 public education through further emphasis on annual testing, annual academic progress, report cards, and teacher qualifications” (No Child Left Behind Act). Schools that miss the Adequate Yearly Progress, “which was based in large part on the percentage of students at or above grade level (Lauen and Gaddis) are classified as “in need of improvement.” These schools must develop a two-year improvement plan. Students must pass yearly tests that judge student’s improvement over the year. Students test scores dictate whether or not a school meets the required standards. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, schools were held accountable for levels of...
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...should take the Parcc standardized test Introduction *alarming fact/rhetorical question/sad story Standardized testing is also known as PARCC it is one of the best test you could ever take. PARCC testing happens all over the country. PARCC stands for Partnership for assessment of readiness for college and careers. Students should take Parcc standardized test because 1. it compares you to other students, 2. it decides on placement for your classes and 3. it plans for the future. II. Body 1/Point 1 - it compares you to other students To compare students is a good thing because it looks at different levels of students so PARCC can have an idea of what resources the students need at school to succeed. PARCC looks at different categories such as skills, programs for...
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...required to take certain standardized test. Teachers force students to do the best they can creating competition between students and schools. This takes away from the ultimate goal student success. With competition come anxiety and with anxiety comes stress. Standardized Testing causes more stress on students rather than making an impact on students academic learning. Standardized Tests do not cover all of what makes education meaningful. Tests measure a limited amount of content and do not include critical thinking, creativity, and application. According to US Department of Education Teacher Ambassador Patrick Ledesma, “everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” (Ledesma). The National Center for Fair and Open Testing mirrors this by stating that standardized test, “do not measure...
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...Almagor, Lelac. "The Good in Standardized Testing." Boston Review 39.5 (2014): 6-9. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Sept. 2014. The title of this article is “The Good in Standardized Testing”, but this article is not simply praising standardized testing. The author chose to narrow in on the effectiveness of standardized test as it relates to reading comprehension. Almagor claims that standardized test are good for letting schools and families know where their children stand compared to other children nationally. He also addresses the negative aspects of standardized test in saying “good reading” can’t be measured properly through multiple choice questions. It is clear that the author does recognize that standardized test can...
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...No Child Left Behind Cons ************ ******* BCOM/275 October **, 2*** **** ********* No Child Left Behind Cons The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has been a controversial topic from its start. There are passionate debaters on both sides of the arguments, each with their own validity behind their stance. Last week was all about focusing on the pros NCLB brings to the table, now lets dive into the cons. What are the negative affects? According to "Educational Research Newsletter And Webinars" (2006), " By imposing standards on students’ minds we are, in effect, depriving them of their fundamental intellectual freedom by applying one standard set of knowledge. Standardized tests oversimplify knowledge and do not test higher-order thinking skills. State standards are externally imposed on local teachers.” and “One-size-fits-all standards either dumb down instruction to the lowest common denominator or condemn low-ability students to frequent failure” (Standard-based assessments). The point this brings up is a strong one. How can the educational system except to successfully teach all students using the exact same model when it’s a well-known fact everyone has vastly different learning styles. Metaphorically, trying to shove the square through the circle whole is going to always lead to failure. The idea of having a set standard that all children should know is obviously very important, but setting down a specific guideline all kids are supposed...
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...High-stakes standardized testing can be a blessing and a curse, but the issue we are prompted with is should it be required in every class at Monett High School. Both pro and con side of the argument propose evidence as to why their side is considered correct and should be put into action. In the case of Monett High School I find that standardized testing would cause grades to drop while the assignments given would be completed with soaring averages. With information pointing to the failure of these tests not fully assessing whether or not the student learned the topic at hand, the topic of whether the test is reliable based on student’s mental condition, and improving the faster knowledge of comprehension ability or other things alike. We...
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...High-stakes standardized testing can be a blessing and a curse, but the issue we are prompted with is should it be required in every class at Monett High School. Both pro and con side of the argument propose evidence as to why their side is considered correct and should be put into action. In the case of Monett High School I find that standardized testing would cause grades to drop while the assignments given would be completed with soaring averages. With information pointing to the failure of these tests not fully assessing whether or not the student learned the topic at hand, the topic of whether the test is reliable based on student’s mental condition, and improving the faster knowledge of comprehension ability or other things alike. We can find that there are two different sides to standardized testing, but would it really benefit Monett High School? Primarily, what should be the main focus of students attending Monett High School is their progression of...
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...It seems unfair that you were handed such a poor topic for a persuasive speech as Anit-Homeschooling surely is. It’s kind of hard to be ‘persuasive’ without facts and statistics to back up your (assigned) stance. And, unfortunately (for the sake of your assignment, at least), the only *statistics* and *facts* out there put homeschooling in a decidedly favorable light. What you *will* find are mere opinion pieces arguing against homeschooling. However, keep in mind these articles provide no substantiating evidence to support their “anti-homeschooling” stance. Such articles, unfortunately (for your assignment, at least), are based on mere myths--some of which have been expressed right HERE by some of your responders. To wit: A) quote:“Home schooled people [will] be passed over for someone that has been through a school that has testing standards as well as requirments (sic) and guidlines (sic) for the teachers them selves.” Wrong. Homeschooled students consistently outperform public school students on standardized tests. [http://www.academicleadership.org/empric... and elsewhere] Moreover, it is no secret that our public schools are failing and that we are far behind other industrialized nations in academic achievement. See: Public High Schools Failing: Colleges Now Spend Billions On Remedial Classes For Freshmen http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2... http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmJ... What’s Wrong With Our Schools http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/09/time...
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...The Complications within the Public School System California College San Diego ENG 101 Composition The Complications within the Public School System We as humans aren't standardized in our thought process so why are there curriculums? We send our young ones to school to set them up for their future. We invest time into our children whether it is at home or at a place where learning is the main objective. How much are we really getting out of the system if it is all standardized? It seems like the public school system is set up so that they push kids straight through without the proper materials or support they need to succeed. We need to focus on the student as a whole and not as a piece of the percentage. Lack of Funding Lack of funding affects the school public school system in many ways. Without the proper funding, the students do not get the proper books they need in order to participate in class. If a school doesn’t have enough money to buy the necessary amount of books, then kids are now sharing or using books with missing pages. In more well off school districts they don’t have those problems. In many American inner cities, there is a lack of funding in public schools resulting in the use of old, damaged textbooks and some teachers using personal funds to purchase new books. Pennsylvania is one state that has a history with a lack of funding issues. “Pennsylvania’s school districts were, and continue to be, highly dependent on the local wealth of their communities...
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