Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

Standardized testing began nearly 2,000 years ago and is still utilized to determine the level of knowledge of students and the effectiveness of teachers today. This method of academic measurement attempts to test all students on common core material through primarily multiple choice questions. How can you determine the true knowledge one possesses through dozens of standardized questions? Many attributes students possess are immeasurable but extremely valuable both in and out of the classroom. Standardized testing does not accommodate all students with various capabilities and skills, and impacts instructional time in the classroom. Because the downsides far outweighing the positives of standardized testing, alternative forms of assessment should be implemented.

Some students are simply bad test takers and are unable to apply the knowledge he or she possesses to generic questions. Also, many students have valuable skills and expertise that are not tested for on exams. As standardized testing has become more prevalent, anxiety among students has steadily increased as a result. There have been numerous incidents of exams distressing students to the point of them crying or vomiting. This extent of test anxiety can greatly hinder the student’s performance on exams (Cox). Each negative test experience a student has only continues the cycle of anxiety and lower scores. Another factor to consider is the variance in home life among students. Some students are not privileged enough to have parents actively involved in the education of their children. Those living in poverty have an unfair advantage during standardized exams because they are more focused on providing for their basic needs than their education (Breslin). Every student faces different obstacles in the classroom and often at home which contradicts the standardized aspect of