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Why is the issue of standardized testing so controversial
Introduction of test anxiety
Flaws with standardized testing
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Standardized testing is a very controversial topic. However, Standardized testing will be amongst students every year. With the transition from PSATs to SAT and other tests, you’ll know that this topic will never leave people’s minds.
Standardized testing examines a student’s accomplishments on one day and does not take in other factors. There are a handful of people who don’t perform well on exams. Many of these students comprehend the content and are able to elaborate on it. Many students also start to have test anxiety which hurts the students grade.There are so many external factors that play into test performance. If a student had a problem at home right before the test, they most likely will not focus during the exam. Standardized testing causes teachers to only have one focus. The test. It builds a mood that is not creative and boring. Teachers have such pressure to get their students ready for these exams that they neglect to teach students skills that go beyond the tests. Standardized testing can create a lot of stress on both educators and students. Students especially feel the stress
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The funds are given only to those schools that do well. This adds more pressure on public schools to study harder and teach even harder. This often leads to unhealthy competition among the schools. the tight schedule can be hard for some students. These tests have been found to reduce group activities among students. Because the students spend a lot of time in studying for standardized tests they miss their daily exercise and leisure. There has been a misunderstanding that students with learning problems, like dyslexia perform poorly in standardized tests. But, the fact is that these students have done better when they are given the help they need. Standardized tests are seen positively by some and negatively by others. However, students go through these tests in their academic
Although standardized testing is supposed to reflect what the students have learned, they often times do not to the fullest potential. What some educators may not take into consideration is the limited resources and ways that teachers are able to get the information across. Standardized testing not only has a negative effect on the things listed above but also a negative impact on the learning styles. Many standardized test are created to improve student achievement, but studies show that the testing format has not improved this at all. Standardized tests also do not incorporate all of the different types of learning, and since this is the case not all of the testing results are measured accurately, which can make the results be very incorrect.
Garcia-Pelayo2students, one can find oneself surprised when we learn that each state spends roughly “$1.7billion a year” (Ujifusa 1) on standardized testing. Money for standardized testing if being spentbefore students even set their eyes on a college application, and definitely before they start fillingout their applications. Standardized tests are expensive, and usually required too. Unless astudent knows for sure that the school they’re applying to, and getting accepted to, does notrequire standardized tests, spending those $65 dollars is almost inevitable. What most studentsconsider “back-up schools” might not need high grades, but at the very least they need thesatisfaction of knowing that you took a test and that they have a number by
Standardized testing assesses students, teachers, and the school itself, which puts a great deal of pressure on the students. High scores show that the school is effective in teaching students, while low test scores make teachers and schools look as though they are not teaching the students properly. This is not always the case. There are teachers who do teach students what they need to know to pass the test, but their students are still unprepared. Although teachers try to improve instruction, student performance is still variable to other factors that the school cannot control.
Standardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay.
These tests can have a negative impact on students as Columbia University recently states that “Standardized testing evaluates a student’s performance on one particular day and does not take into account external factors. There are many people who simply do not perform
His hands are shaking, his palms are sweaty, he is afraid his heart is about to beat out of his chest. The rectangular thing is placed in front of him. A bead of sweat drips from his forehead. he wipes it away. Soon after that he faints. This is all because of a simple rectangular piece of paper that has the words standardized test written on it in big, bold, black letters. These are just some of the signs of test anxiety, all so teachers, schools, and students can be compared to one another. Standardized testing is wrong and uneducational. Some would ask why this is erroneous, when the schools get money if the students do well on these tests. This is amiss because of three simple reasons. One, standardized testing does not work. Two, standardized tests only measure a small portion of why makes education meaningful. Finally three, standardized testing causes severe stress in younger students.
Similarly, the stress put on standardized test scores has led to negative results within the classroom. The results of standardized tests within a district has begun to play a role in deciding the amount of financial support a school receives. According to an article written by Van Thompson
Why is standardized testing part of the college admission process? Some of us might still remember taking the SAT or ACT when we were applying for college; however few of us question why we have to take such a test. Millions of dollars are spent on prep materials all so we can achieve a decent score and hope colleges will be impressed. The College Board claims a high SAT or ACT score correlates to college success which is defined as a good GPA throughout college. However if you stop and ask yourself what the SAT or ACT has to do with college success, most of us will arrive at the conclusion that these tests have almost have nothing to do with college success. Some of the questions are simply on these tests are simply ridiculous and will never
General testing in today's school systems has a negative effect upon the actual learning of the students. Standardized testing narrows school curriculum, labels children as failures at a young age, and uses money that could possibly be used in a more productive manner.
As a senior in high school, I have had more than enough exposure to standardized tests. The ACT, PSAT, ITBS, and countless others have tracked my scholastic progress for the last nine years. Each test takes weeks of preparation for just a few hours of actual test taking. Yet these tests only measure basic subjects such as math, science, and English. What these tests fail to track is students’ abilities to problem solve, empathize, and be honest. Skills that are vital parts of a functioning society. Creating a test that treats the student as an individual would yield better results, and would create a better learning experience for all.
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.
There is added pressure to schools to get better scores which adds pressure to the educators and the students. The added pressure can cause health problems with the students or the educators. If health problem come from the stress of the tests it could negatively affect the student’s ability to learn (Pros and Cons, 2013). The test itself is a problem as well. The test is supposed to be unbiased based on the grade level but in most cases the test is not. As much as they try...
More and more, in order to boost test scores, teachers are doing what is known as "teaching to the test". They know what the test will want, even if it isn't useful information, so they simply tell the students what they need to pass. The emphasis on standardized tests means that even if there is something interesting, useful, compelling or otherwise helpful to the student, it will be ignored because it is not going to be on the test. Most classes consist of taking tests, or preparing to take tests. With tests that teach hardly anything that is actually helpful to the student’s understanding of the world, this is not a good thing.
Students are subjected to test after test by the district or state to test their level of skill. Although this sounds tedious it actually helps the school determine what programs you should be in, such as the cats program. This can help students who need harder classes get what they need as well as helping those struggling. However sometimes test giving can get out of hand such as in Florida. In 2014 it was estimated that about 52% of tests given were issued by the district with less than half being from the state (Americanprogress.org).
According to CBS news “Between pre-K and 12th grade, students took about 112 mandatory standardized exams.” These test cause several issues, but one in particular is stress in students. According to Great Schools “Students in certain grades must pass these tests to advance to the next grade. In Florida, children as young as 8 years old face the prospect of being held back if they fail the test.” This generally is what causes the stress, imagine having one test that determines if you have to retake an entire year