What if an adolescent took a test that solely determined whether or not they make it to their high school graduation? For most high school students this is a reality. High schools across the U.S. require all of their students to pass proficiency tests in order to graduate. These state-wide tests include having a standard knowledge in reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as science in some states now. These tests show the level of proficiency that each student is at in each subject based only their test scores. So the question that many students, teachers, and parents ask is: Should students be required to pass proficiency tests in order to graduate from high school? In Arizona, high schools require their students to take the AIMS (Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards) tests and pass them in order in progress out of high school. Arizonan students must now pass reading, writing, and math and science tests. Many schools have integrated an extra class for students to prepare for taking the tests. Students in these classes can receive either a pass or fail for the course. The original reason and importance for having these tests was to ensure that all students are meeting the standards of education in those tested subjects by the time they graduate. Having more research done about statistics and percentages on opposition and stances on proficiency testing would make an impact in the way schools would continue standardized testing, not only in high schools, but elementary schools as well. Since there is little investigation and research that has been done, there is not a strong voice from the teachers, parents, or students on this subject. Some people are opposed to these proficiency tests for a number of r... ... middle of paper ... ... issues with students. The need for more reasrech on this subject is essential for school districts and the state government, so that they can better see whether the money going towards testing is being used well. Overall, if there is more statistics, findings, reports, and research done on the subject of proficiency testing in high schools alone, then we can better understand where the nation is at on its views on the subject. Works Cited 1. Farah, Yara N.1, yara_tarah@baylor.edu. "Through Another's Eyes." Gifted Child Today 36.3 (2013): 209-212. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 10 Feb. 2014 2. Kubow, Patricia K., and Robert DeBard. "Teacher Perceptions Of Proficiency Testing: A Winning Ohio Suburban School District Expresses Itself." American Secondary Education 29.2 (2000): 16-25. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Author Deborah Landry in her article “Teachers' (k-5) perceptions of student behaviors during standardized testing” written for the Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue in 2006 examines the effects of standardized testing on student behavior as perceived by their teachers. Landry works with sixty-three teachers in grades kindergarten through grade five from two northeastern school districts in Oklahoma and found teachers to have had perceived many changes in student behavior during standardized testing. These changes had a wide range of what was described by Landry as distressing results including which included such things as fear and a sense of helplessness by the students observed. Landry also found that not only had standardized testing affected students negatively by raising such things as anxiety levels but also discovered that it is also impacting the teachers themselves who are responsible for
...wledge which can be detrimental to the students who have surpassed these standards. The test does not encourage students to increase their knowledge, but only to meet requirements. Teachers should be able to tell if a student is ready to pass on to the next grade level without a standardized test based solely on each student’s grades, work, and intelligence as revealed in the classroom.
“Standardized Testing Has Negatively Impacted Public Schools.” Opposing Viewpoints: Education. Ed. David M. Haugen, Ph.D. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center.
A young girl is excited about graduating high school and attending her first year at college. She tries hard at school and receives above-average grades. She is an active student involved in student council, band, the drama team, and peer tutoring, but her ACT scores are extremely low, disqualifying her from many universities. The young girl represents many students who are not successful at taking standardized tests because they have not developed the advanced skills required to take a test like the ACT or SAT. An academically motivated and responsible student should not be prevented from attending college because a "standard" test is not his or her standard. The current methods of testing for the ACT or SAT should be abolished and replaced with modified and less "standard" questions to better measure a student's learning potential. In addition to different testing techniques, a student's learning potential should be a measure of a culmination of activities and methods; testing should be less important than other methods in determining a student's learning potential, if not the least important. Standardized testing must evolve to encompass a more diverse student population, and it should not be the primary factor in measuring learning potential.
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the sentiments of the authors and their insight into standardized examination. The articles provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that standardized tests are not effective at measuring a teacher’s competency because they do not take into account the school environment and its effect on the students.
Standardized tests have been used to see how much a child has learned over a certain period of time. These tests have been a highly debated issue with many parents and just people in general. In the article “Opting out of standardized tests? Wrong answer,” the author Michelle Rhee argues that people should not be trying to opt out of standardized tests because it allows the country to see how much a child has learned and the things they need to improve. On the other hand, in the article “Everything You’ve Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong,” the author Kristina Rizga argues that standardized tests are not an efficient way to measure a student’s intelligence.
Worthen, Blaine R., and Vicki Spandel. "Putting the Standardized Testing Debate in Perspective." Educational Leadership Feb. 1991: 65-69. ASCD. 1 Dec. 2013
Standardized testing scores proficiencies in most generally accepted curricular areas. The margin of error is too great to call this method effective. “High test scores are generally related to things other than the actual quality of education students are receiving” (Kohn 7). “Only recently have test scores been published in the news-paper and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and schools.”(2) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public School system.
... the ability to govern themselves, if they are to have the ability to contribute to society, and be able to succeed in life, a proper education must be made available to them. Not an education of learning how to take tests, but one of knowledge. An education given to them that teaches them how to apply mathematics in their lives, to use the sciences to understand the world around them, and to be able to read an article, not only to read it, but to be enlightened by its meaning. The Public School is a place that students should want to go, hunger to go. It should not be a place of stress or fear due to an upcoming test. It needs to be a place where all have the freedom and opportunity to learn. Standardized Tests had their moment in time, now the focus needs to be turned to a more in-depth understanding of education by applying what is taught to our everyday lives.
Parents and advocates of education can all agree that they want their students to be in the best hands possible in regards to education. They want the best teachers, staffs, and schools to ensure their student’s success. By looking at the score results from standardized testing, teachers can evaluate effectively they are doing their job. On the other side, a proponent for eliminating standardized testing would argue that not all students care passionately about their education and will likely not perform to expectations on the test. However, receiving the numerical data back, teachers can construe the student’s performances and eliminate the outliers of the negligent kids. Teachers can then look at the individual scores and assign those outliers to get the help they need in school. This helps every student getting an equal chance at education. Overall, taking a practice standardized test can let a teacher look at individual questions and scores and interpret what they need to spend more time on teaching. A school also can reap the benefits from standard testing to ensure they are providing the best possible education they can. The school can look at the average scores from a group and hold the teacher accountable for the student’s results on the test. The school can then determine the best course of action to pursuit regarding the teacher’s career at the school. By offering teachers and schools the opportunity to grow and prosper, standardized testing is a benefit for the entire education
Argument Against Standardized Testing President Bush is promoting annual standardized testing for all students in grades three through eight. This bill is currently being considered in Congress, and has garnered much support. As of right now, 15 states test students in those grades, and more than 20 have high school exit exams, which look only at the test score of a student, not at his or her academic achievements. Standardized testing is an unfair and inaccurate form of judging a person’s intellect. In many cases, people are either over- or underrepresented by their test scores, partly because America does not currently have the capabilities to fairly score the increasing number of tests.
Standardized testing is not an effective way to test the skills and abilities of today’s students. Standardized tests do not reveal what a student actually understands and learns, but instead only prove how well a student can do on a generic test. Schools have an obligation to prepare students for life, and with the power standardized tests have today, students are being cheated out of a proper, valuable education and forced to prepare and improve their test skills. Too much time, energy, and pressure to succeed are being devoted to standardized tests. Standardized testing, as it is being used presently, is a flawed way of testing the skills of today’s students.
“If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.” This quote by Michelle Obama illustrates the idea that standardized testing should not have such a large influence on education in America. However, a majority of people are under the impression that standardized tests are an accurate method to measure a person's intellectual ability. I believe that standardized tests have developed into a very critical part of the American education system that is hindering the growth of students and teachers instead of providing a tool that can accurately measure knowledge.
Columnist, Guest. "Test Scores and Teacher Competency." The Oregonian. Oregonlive.com, 4 Feb. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.