Standardized Testing Pros And Cons

Everyone who has attended school has taken at least one standardized test in their life. A standardized test is any examination that's given and scored in a standard manner. There are two major types of standardized tests. Aptitude tests, such as the SAT and ACT, and achievement tests, which school board members rely on when they evaluate the effectiveness of a school (Popham). A typical student takes about 112 mandated standardized tests between pre-kindergarten classes and 12th grade (Layton). Although, these tests can be a waste of time and education. Standardized tests are irrelevant when measuring a student’s academic ability and they do not reflect what is being taught in the classroom. Standardized testing scores do not accurately …show more content…
One factor could be a physical factor, such as the student being sick while taking the test since most tests are administered during winter or spring which are the prime cold and allergy seasons. Another factor is emotional factors, such as the student dealing with a tough situation outside the classroom that causes them to lose focus during the test (Popham, pta). Then there are the students who just don’t perform well on tests. Most of these students are smart and understand the material, but it doesn’t show in their test results and that’s something many people can relate to. Other students may develop test anxiety which weakens their performance and results. (Pros and Cons). Instead, standardized test scores should be regarded as only an approximation of a student's …show more content…
One option is four performance based assessment tasks known as PBATs. These performance based tasks include an analytic essay, a social studies research paper, a science experiment, and an applied mathematics problem. According to Education for the 21st Century, the PBATs “emerge from class readings and discussion. In some classes, the tasks are crafted by the teacher and in other instances by the student.” (Strauss). This alternative would show the true potential of the student and their knowledge, rather than the false inferences that are concluded from the standardized tests. In conclusion, standardized testing doesn’t accurately measure the academic ability of the student, and it does not reflect what’s being taught in the classroom on a daily basis. Therefore, it’s not a good use of time and education. The administration of these tests should be discontinued for the benefit of both the student and the