High Stakes Testing Newsletter: A Reflection

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Recommended: The importance of standardized tests

Writing a High Stakes Testing Newsletter: A Reflection
Introduction
High stakes testing is not a concept that is going away anytime soon (Dankiw, Johanson, Loder, & Watson, 2014). High stakes tests are standardized tests that are administered to evaluate specific standards that should be taught over the year. These tests are grade level specific and there are various requirements for passing them based on the state you are in. Parents are stakeholders in their child’s education and it is highly important that they be informed about high stakes testing, the benefits, and how they can help their student achieve a passing or better grade on the examination.
For the newsletter I have written, I chose to focus on the AIMS test and the laws in Arizona. At this time, we are unsure as to what standardized test the students will be taking this spring, as they have not decided about the PARCC test and the AIMS contract was not renewed. I have …show more content…

The inclusion of the importance of high stakes testing outlines the benefits of high stakes testing, as well as how it effects teachers and students. High stakes testing helps make changes to a more standardized curriculum throughout the country (David, 2013). A standardized curriculum means that students transferring between states will receive the same education across the board. High stakes testing can also teach students confidence (Dankiw, Johanson, Loder, & Watson, 2014). Though students can be stressed out during the testing process, they can have a sense of accomplishment and a confidence boost if they feel they have done well. This confidence will be validated when the student receives their results. High stakes testing also teaches students, especially those who are behind academically, test taking skills. It is highly important for students to understand the language used on the test. Students also benefit from practicing test taking strategies such as eliminating

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