Horace Mann Standardized Testing

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Living in a world where one single test can influence someone's entire future is the reality of today's society. The high-pressure, challenging test known as standardized testing holds the power to categorize students, determine their future, and compare intelligence. In 1845, an academic visionary, Horace Mann, developed the idea of written assessments. Mann’s purpose was to identify the best teaching techniques to allow students to excel. Several years later, standardized testing became an integral part of today's society. The nature of standardized testing can lead to damaging effects on teachers and students, including immense pressure, frustration, poor emotional state, and more. As standardized testing grows and develops, students, teachers, …show more content…

During the early years of education, children are categorized based on the scores of tests. These examinations are administered and scored in a predetermined manner known as standardized testing (Skidmore). These tests are predetermined to minimize the likelihood of better test scores. They are also designed and mandatory in primary and secondary schools to assess requirements for federal education funding (American Universal). If students were not forced to take these tests, school funding would decrease, making these tests crucial for schools. Standardized tests are normally made up of multiple-choice and true or false questions (American Universal). The school of education says tests made up of multiple-choice and true or false questions allow the scoring process to be easier and scores to be released sooner. The data collected allows comparisons to take place among schools regarding student achievement. As a result of this, public schools …show more content…

The emphasis on reading, writing, and mathematics on standardized testing devalued other areas such as art, history, and electives. Teachers who teach the devalued courses receive less funding and are seen as less qualified. Teachers then lose their desire to teach, causing them to seem lenient and careless inside the classroom. There could also be excessive pressure placed on teachers from their schools and administrators to improve their student test scores. Test scores are a big form of income for schools, therefore the pressure is immense for scores to be high. Without high test scores, the schools will lack funding and will struggle to maintain staff and students. With that said, teachers have shown great frustration with the time it takes to prepare and administer tests. As stated before, schools pressure teachers to teach their students information that will show up on standardized tests. Teachers are forced to change the curriculum and fit everything that will be on the test into their classes. Most things that teachers teach are to increase the scores of future testing. When the students score high, teachers are praised for their good work and receive more money than other teachers. However, teachers who have not-so-good scores are neglected and seen as worse teachers when compared to others. Not only do low test scores affect teachers, but they also affect students

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