Preview

Arguments Against Standardized Testing Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
986 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Arguments Against Standardized Testing Essay
Argument against Standardized Tests
Standardized testing is one of the most controversial and highly debated topics in the United States today. These tests are commonly used to measure the students’ academic achievements and act as yardstick for teachers’ effectiveness in academic delivery. A typical student sits for at least “112 compulsory standardized tests between pre-kindergarten classes and 12th grade” (Layton). Proponents of standardized testing believe that the practice provides accurate measurements of student performance and teachers effectiveness. On the other hand, opponents of standardized testing argue that a single test given on a single day can neither be an accurate measure of the students’ academic achievement nor a yardstick for teachers’ effectiveness in academic delivery. In fact, most of the countries which outperform the U.S. at international examinations test their students thrice throughout the course of schooling (Layton). The hypothesizes shows that standardized test is flawed and need to be addressed in order to improve the students’ creativity and restore
…show more content…
This aspect has resulted into a decrease of time spent in the recess. As a result, children’s’ emotional, social, and academic well-being is compromised in the long run (Ricci 351). Moreover, the fact that the federal funds are only availed to schools which meet specific thresholds, have put schools under pressure to ensure that their students can meet the requirements through standardized tests. As such, schools spend much time evaluating the students’ performance such that whenever “the students are not sitting for the standardized tests, then they are being prepared to sit for the tests” (Kohn 47). As a result, students skip or neglect other important activities such as extracurricular activities such as games in order to prepare adequately for the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Park 1

    • 2680 Words
    • 11 Pages

    tests were primarily employed as measures of student achievement that could be reported to parents, and as a means of noting state and district trends (Moon 2) . Teachers paid little attention to these tests, which in turn had little impact on curriculum. However, in the continuing quest for better schools and high achieving students, testing has become a central focus of policy and practice. Standardized tests are tests that attempt to present unbiased material under the same, predetermined conditions and with consistent scoring and interpretation so that students have equal opportunities to give correct answers and receive an accurate assessment. The idea is that these similarities allow the highest degree of certainty in comparing results across schools, school districts, or states. As the high-stakes testing became more popular, standardized tests became a tool to change through their use as a measure of the quality of the education system, and as the…

    • 2680 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Does all society know standardized testing robs their children from their childhoods? State governments use a horrible and unfair resources to measure different student’s achievements. Other than stressing out the students, the tests only measure a small portion of essential education. State governments should allow school districts to replace standardized testing with authentic tests for each student to ensure individual success. Standardized testing is an undependable and an unfair resource to be used for measuring student performance, and it does not show improvement in student achievement. Not all students have the same abilities to take the same standardized test. In conclusion, state governments should replace standardized…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    During this time, even the birds got quiet, and all you could hear were the pencil tips, racing along the bubbles A, B, C, then D. Yes, this is your typical state or even countrywide standardized testing classroom, and yes, students should have to take them. Why, because they are a helpful way for teachers to see what their students need help in, they can change school grades majorly, and they can help students review what they learned from the year.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No matter how far a child is within their education, one cannot possibly go through education without coming across a few standardized tests. It is a test that remains to be unpopular among students and takes a lot of patience, time, and effort. But what many students fail to understand is that standardized tests benefit them in ways that help shape them for their future. After looking at students and how they affect students and benefit their learning, many articles have been written in an attempt to communicate to students standardized tests are an essential factor within their education. These sources help support the concept of standardized testing because they not only include ways standardized tests help students learn basic skills for…

    • 157 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized testing has been around since the mid-1800s. The purpose of this system is to measure a student’s achievements through high school. This can help a student and schools realize what they are failing in. Also it can show what they are exceeding in as well. There are many reason to consider standardized exams for high school. Key reason include a explanation of why the test is given and beats any other system of grading, the ability to compare between school, and what schools need to focus on. Is providing this test benefited schools districts nationwide?…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    An American educator who was examining the British educational system once asked a headmaster why so little standardized testing took place in British schools. "My dear fellow," came the reply, "In Britain we are of the belief that, when a child is hungry, he should be fed, not weighed" (Bowers 1). Even though this quote can be construed as being comical and light-hearted, the anecdote suggests the obvious question: "Why do we do so much standardized testing in the United States?" Standardized testing places incredible amounts of stress on teachers and school administrators, as well as the students taking the tests who are afraid that if they don't pass this exam, they might not be able to graduate. Standardized testing does not take in to…

    • 1374 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized Testing

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Standardized testing has a detrimental and counterproductive effect on kids in the traditional education setting. It objectifies kids and ranks them according to an arbitrary scale that is not customized to fit individual students and their disparities in learning styles. There is significant evidence and numerous studies that show standardized testing's negative effects on grade school level students. Other methods should be investigated and pursued instead of proctoring standardized tests to ensure that students are being educated to their full potential. Several methods can be put in place to replace standardized testing including stealth assessment, a sampling test method, or written performance descriptions,…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Texas alone spends nearly 88 million dollars a year on standardized testing(Martinez), and Florida has a $245 million dollar contract with NCS Pearson to administer their Comprehensive test(Vu). Nearly half “of all the school districts in the United states have reduced their time spent on science, the arts, and social studies” by close to 150 minutes a week in favour of the topics more heavily tested on standardized tests, like reading and math(Ravitch). Standardized testing is not a new topic when it comes to controversy, especially nowadays. In the last ten years Finland has repeatedly scored the highest on the Programme for International Student Assessment(PISA), even though they have “no external standardized tests to gauge students,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, a Stanford University researcher. These tests that are supposed to be helping measure our student’s and teacher’s performances are not only inaccurate, but extremely expensive and time consuming. Most Americans agree that standardized tests are just slowly tearing apart the American education system, thanks to No Child Left Behind(NCLB).…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    When was the last time the United States placed first in global mathematical performance? In the latest score reports, the U.S. didn’t even place in the top 30 countries. Over the last few decades, students in the United States’ public education system have been scoring progressively less in areas such as mathematics and science. As one could imagine, this is a very alarming trend that could be detrimental to the advancement of our country if not addressed properly. Without an emphasis on mathematics, the United States will have a massive decline in progression as it loses more and more prospective occupations such as engineers, physicists, etc. These subjects have become so standardized, that the only way to efficiently correct this problem is to reform the public educational system by deviating away from things such as standardized testing and…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized testing is used in most schools. These are tests that are designed in a way, which are given out and recorded in a consistent method. In standardized testing, all test takers are required to answer the same set of inquiries. These are exams that usually have multiple-choice, or true or false questions, and test takers are given a certain amount of time to answer all the problems. Standardized testing is usually used to compare the performance of individuals in a relative manner.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As the fourth quarter of the school year begins, it often brings with it a host of standardized tests, and teachers and students alike groan at the thought. The English geeks shudder at having to take math tests, and the math nerds shudder at having to write essays. “Looking at standardized testing from the outside, it’s easy to find theoretical reasons for it, but not enough hard data to justify its importance.” (Walker). While test scores have improved in recent years, American standardized testing does not value the individuality of students, because testing suppresses diversity and imagination, testing standards are meaningless, and they do not prepare students for real life.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized Testing

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In years past thousands of grade school students have been drug throughout the school systems of the United States without a single thought to whether they acquired the knowledge necessary to be successful in the working world or college. Since the signing of No Child Left Behind Act by President George W. Bush, many believe standardized or "high stakes" testing places advantages and disadvantages on some students. Some worry certain students will be unfairly penalized if they do not happen to test well, and teachers may concentrate on the test topics at the exclusion of more important lessons. However, standardized testing is a benchmark that should be practiced in all schools, and not only raises the bar for school systems, but challenges students to learn as well.…

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “We are raising today's children in sterile, risk-averse and highly structured environments. In so doing, we are failing to cultivate artists, pioneers and entrepreneurs, and instead cultivating a generation of children who can follow the rules in organized sports games, sit for hours in front of screens and mark bubbles on standardized tests” (Darell Hammond).…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Standardized tests are very common in our schools today. Many school require that we take tests in some form and there is a big debate on whether these tests are actually helping students. There are many people that say that standardized testing is good for our schools and students, while others believe that standardized tests shouldn't be used and are not necessary in our schools. My stand on the issue, is that standardized tests should not be used in school. Standardized tests do not show individual student's ability and cannot be based off of one test. Standardized tests should not be used in our schools and they need no longer to be used. Standardized tests do not help students and are not suitably beneficial…

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    educatiom

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Students have been attending public schools since the 17th century. As education progressed, standardized tests began to develop. Students are given these tests to see what they know before school starts, or what they have learned throughout the school year. School board members use them to determine the effectiveness of the school. These tests affect the funding of school, its students, and its staff. Standardized testing is an important controversy that should be established. Some say that the tests have a positive effect on students because they show major improvement on what they learned. On the other hand, others argue that it has a negative effect because it is a waste of time. Standardized testing is ineffective because it is unfair to students who need help, pointless to take, and worsens the economy.…

    • 1166 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays