The Cons Of Standardized Testing

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The Standardized Testing System, instituted in the public school system, has been used as a guideline in assessing a student’s comprehension of the subjects taught in the classroom and for measuring a teacher’s aptitude of relating the subject material to the students (Fletcher). Florida has instituted a new Bill SB-736 that will now no longer grant teacher’s tenure, and will use the scores from the FCAT to decide whether a teacher will keep their job. While originally created to help the school system, standardized testing has been shown to have many problems, and even to cause harm to students, teachers, and schools. The standardized testing system must be severely revamped, as well as the way the scores affect the schools the students attend.

The first party that the FCAT is hurting is the students in the public school system. Florida has a large Spanish community; almost 20 percent of the population of Tampa is Hispanic/ Latino, many of this population only speaks Spanish (Tampa Population). The United States having such a diverse population of cultures, must deal with a large percentage of students who do not speak English, or a very broken dialect of it if they do. Students are required to take the FCAT after their second year in the United States Education System. Now while the grades of ESOL students are not factored into the school’s “total score”, they are still used to show the student’s progress. The question is if the state recognizes that the test scores will negatively affect the school, should it not be considered that the score will hurt a student’s progress?

Students with disabilities have problems with taking the FCAT as well, not having the audible, visual, or mobile capabilities that other students have, ...

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Phelps, Richard. Defending Standardized Testing. Los Angeles: Psychology Press, 2005. Print.

Sireci, Stephen, Stanley. Scarpati, and Shuhong Li. "Division in the Ranks: Standardized Testing Draws Lines between New and Veteran Teachers." Review of Educational Research. 75.4 (2005): 457-490. Print.

Smith, Jennie. "2+2=5...SB 736 doesn't add up.." Miami Examiner 18/Feb/ 2011, Print.

"Tampa Population and Demographics (Tampa, FL)." Tampa Yellow Pages and Tampa FL Guide. 27 Apr. 201.1 Web.

Winkler, Amber. "Division in the Ranks: Standardized Testing Draws Lines between New and Veteran Teachers." Phi Delta Kappan. 84.3 (2002): 219-225. Print.

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