Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

Standardized testing has become a wide-spread problem to numerous school systems. Many schools have become reliant of tests given at the state level for most students in elementary, middle, high school, and college. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT), Advanced Placement (AP), and many other state tests have become an inadequate way of measuring a students’ achievement. The state does not have as much concern for the other necessities of a child’s learning. Students need further types of evaluation, not only the knowledge and skills needed for one test. Schools put too much stock into standardized tests because they don’t measure creativity and critical thinking, are too complex in giving an understanding of student achievement and give students and teachers stress. It is evident that standardized testing should not be a measure of student achievement.

Classroom curriculum is in distress because of the time taken to prepare for standardized tests. Test preparation takes away numerous hours a teacher could be using for more important educational purposes. Solley states, “Because of the increased pressure on teachers for their children to do well on standardized tests, the curriculum has been narrowed” (Solley 8). Many curriculums have been minimized to make room for testing. Another major aspect of testing is the accountability placed on the schools, students, and teachers. If students do not perform well the schools amount of funding could decrease. A student could be placed in classes for extra help with their school work and discriminates the students’ amount of knowledge. Additionally, teachers are judged by how well their students perform. Solley states, “Standardized tests are now used to hold up children and schools for comparison; the scores are used to discriminate rather than diagnose, punish rather than reward” (Solley