Standardized Testing: Are They Worth It?

Words: 1069
Pages: 5
Open Document
Standardized tests have been an affliction for students life in America since the mid 1800’s. Now that the tests in many states are getting harder in order to align with the new Common Core standards and being used to grade teachers, not just students, they’re also creating a lot of anxiety among parents and teachers, too. For years they have been creating these test, but are they worth it? America has been spending millions of dollars, when they could be using it for a better cause. Many supporters say they are a great way to show students achievement and help administration understand how the students are doing with their curriculum, but these tests don't measure the true knowledge of a student. Having these tests, not only waste money but …show more content…
Supporters state, that they help schools measure how students perform in class. For years they have been using these tests for those purposes but are they beneficial? These test don't measure the true important skills that a human has forever. People say that they help the schools understand how the student is performing but the tests are designed to measure a certain kind of curriculum such as isolated skills, specific facts and function, content knowledge, the least interesting and least significant aspects of learning but there's more to a student than that, According to education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD “it does not measure, creativity, imagination, conceptual thinking, curiosity, …show more content…
So how would the unreliable performance, show a positive affect? Having these tests have not improved student achievement. A May 26, 2011, National Research Council report found no evidence test-based incentive programs are working: "Despite using them for several decades, policymakers and educators do not yet know how to use test-based incentives to consistently generate positive effects on achievement and to improve education” (ProCon.org). This clarifies that throughout the years they haven't seen improvement, so these tests aren't just wasting the students time but also the teachers because they have to stop their curriculum to direct these test. For instance, in the upcoming evidence there's no proof of achievement. “After No Child Left Behind (NCLB)s passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading” (ProCon.org). This shows that after a few years reading was the same but the science and math program was dropped 13 places. These tests put pressure on students, which then result to students doing poorly. 13 may seem just a a number it's a number that resembles these tests aren't doing anything. In conclusion, these tests have not shown student achievement at
Show More

Related Documents: Standardized Testing: Are They Worth It?

Argumentative Essay On Standardized Testing

Standardized test has a big impact on our education system. In fact, most people think that standardized test is a great part of our school systems, because they provide benchmarks, guidelines for the curriculum, and identify the problem areas. We can all come to the agreement that standardized testing is taking over the most important aspect of schooling, which is: learning. Even though standardized testing has its pros, limits need to be placed. Although standardized test gives the teacher's guidance…

Words 658 - Pages 3

Standardized Testing DBQ Essay

Although most believe that standardized testing’s primary end is to evaluate students, it serves many other purposes. For example, a teacher's aptitude can be examined by studying her students’ progress, and school quality can also be judged by test scores. Not everyone acknowledges the benefits of standardized testing. Opponents find it useless, unfair, and not worthy of resumption. A major weakness in standardized testing lies in its failure to benefit all demographics. Journalist Meridith Broussard…

Words 515 - Pages 3

Standardized Testing In Schools Essay

Do you really think that we need standardised testing in schools? A lot of parents do, but do they know what standardized testing is really doing? I believe that Standardised testing is not necessary in schools. Because standardized testing can actually do more harm than good. Students may not even try because they know that is does nothing to there grade. Thats right standardized testing does not even go against the student. Standardized testing only goes against the teacher to see if they are…

Words 811 - Pages 4

Standardized Testing Benefits

Standardized testing is a fundamental part of the American education system, and that has been the case for many years. During those years, such testing has provided the education system with some benefits. However, for the most part, this testing has had a detrimental effect on the quality of schools, how teachers teach, the education of students, and the American education system itself. As such, this kind of testing has proved to be more harmful than it is beneficial. As a result, it influences…

Words 1433 - Pages 6

Standardized Testing In Schools

and then there’d be weeks in my English classes we’d have to write essays for the state to see if we’re hitting all the points necessary to pass the same End-of-Course exam. Testing never seems to escape me or many other students in the realm of education. The question to ask though is, how does all of the standardized testing affect us as students? How does it affect…

Words 1820 - Pages 8

Persuasive Essay On Standardized Testing

our brains that these tests would decide our graduation, our college, our futures. If these standardized tests were so important, why were students not given a reason to care earlier? Why did they seem so out of place? Well, the teachers were not passionate about the tests either, so they did not push the idea until they had to. They were simply required to have us take the tests because the standardized tests were mandatory by law, that law being the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). Under the 2002…

Words 1654 - Pages 7

Is Standardized Testing Unnecessary

Standardized Testing Standardized testing can be unnecessary in many ways. Students all over the world are labored into taking unrealistic standardized tests. Students, teachers, and parents can all feel pressured during this time, which is not good at all. Many say that these tests, improving our world and are only preparing children for the real world, statistics show that school standardized testing causes nothing but stress.Schools are being forced to test students in unrealistic ways. These…

Words 999 - Pages 4

Standardized Testing Argument Essay

terrorism, racism, and police brutality, falls a problem much more personal- standardized testing. While these tests may not hinder a person’s safety, they carry with them the same cultural biases that are associated with inequality issues faced on a daily basis. The question is not whether or not a culture free test is possible, but instead how a test that is unbiased could prove anything above basic intelligence. That any test worth taking to get into a school, to apply for a job, is biased in a way that…

Words 1081 - Pages 5

Article Analysis: The Case Against Grades By Alfie Kohn

Through standardized testing such as Scholastic Aptitude Test, Missouri Assessment Program, and American College Tests may seem like the perfect way to prepare students for the academic future, by providing a better chance at gaining a better education, schools should be focused more on improving skills of the students, rather than forced testing. In the article, “The Case Against Grades” by Alfie Kohn, an american author in the area of education, he emphasizes that administrators put more focus…

Words 845 - Pages 4

Analysis Of Sherman Alexie's Superman And Me

results students receive impact schools in large ways. Schools that do poorly on standardized tests can have their doors closed and be labeled “unfit.” Also, standardized tests are very costly. Gregory Merchant said that: “States that had planned to implement some tests are dropping or postponing those plans because of economic problems” (104). This displays how some states are pausing their plans to give standardized tests because of the costs of them. Additionally, schools that are in poverty areas…

Words 1374 - Pages 6