What Went Wrong With Standardized Testing

1412 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The flaws in standardized testing

As Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” (Baskerville, 2013). This is very true when it comes to the school system and standardized testing. Ever since standardized testing has been implemented into the school systems, it has hindered students and teachers alike. For students, there are so many things wrong with standardized testing. One reason these tests are so terrible for students is the anxiety it gives them. “Some students simply do not test well. Many students are affected by test anxiety or do not show their learning well on a standardized test, resulting in inaccurately lower scores.” (“The Dangerous Consequences …show more content…

Tests like the SAT fail to see the important characteristics like critical thinking ability and the test rewards superficial thinking while degrading analytical thinking (Harris, Harris, and Smith, 2012). There are actually many skills the SAT does not measure. Some of these attributes are creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, curiosity, persistence, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, course, honesty, and much more (Harris, Harris, and Smith, 2012). Tests of this caliber a lot of times reward a lot of shallow thinking. Students just take classes for standardized testing preparation. They get really good at the exact type of problems on the test and then are terrible at anything else. This is a real problem because not only can students take these preparation courses, but schools start to teach to the test. “The average teacher now reports spending about 30 percent of their work time on testing-related tasks…“(Walker, 2015) Schools ditch their regular material and start to move more and more toward the test itself, so what is not on the test is not taught. But, the test does not cover everything that students should be taught. Standardized tests “... have pushed into the nearly $700-million-a-year market… offering the SAT and ACT even to students who do not plan to go to college” (Zernike, 2016). This is important because it shows standardized testing is big business. Our student's education should not be based on business. The fact that these tests are being pushed so heavily on students is

Show More
Related

  • Standardized Testing Has a Negative Effect on American Youth

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is precisely the problem. Standardized tests are old and outdated, and the harm they cause to America’s education system by far outweighs the benefits. These tests were intended to monitor and offer ways to improve how public schools function, but instead they have impaired the natural learning ability of students and imposed upon the judgment of experienced educators. Although a means to evaluate the progress of public schools is necessary, it is also necessary to develop more modern and effective ways of doing so. Standardized testing mandated by the federal and state governments has a negative effect on the education of America’s youth.

    Read More

  • Opting Out Of Standardized Test Rizga Summary

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Standardized tests have been used to see how much a child has learned over a certain period of time. These tests have been a highly debated issue with many parents and just people in general. In the article “Opting out of standardized tests? Wrong answer,” the author Michelle Rhee argues that people should not be trying to opt out of standardized tests because it allows the country to see how much a child has learned and the things they need to improve. On the other hand, in the article “Everything You’ve Heard About Failing Schools Is Wrong,” the author Kristina Rizga argues that standardized tests are not an efficient way to measure a student’s intelligence.

    Read More

  • The Negative Impact of High Stakes Standardized Testing

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    High-stakes standardized testing greatly impacts the environment in which students learn. When such a huge emphasis is placed on these tests and scoring well on them, it often creates, in excess, unnecessary anxiety and stress. In Florida alone the number of different standardized tests given to students spanned across kindergarten through 12th grade has increased to over sixteen. Often students are faced with the harsh realization that not scoring well can mean the difference from a pass and fail grade. That kind of pressure can lead to a complete shutdown of their learning. Although students are heavily impacted by the pressure and anxiety that accompanies standardized testing, they are not the only ones. Teachers not unli...

    Read More

  • Standardized Test Scores and Their Use in College Admissions Decisions

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    In recent years many schools have begun to put more emphasis on standardized test scores. Almost all college bound students now take entrance exams like the ACT or SAT. These tests supposedly indicate how "smart" a student is and how successful they would be in colle...

    Read More

  • Standardized Tests Are Insufficient

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    While you can take the test as many times as you want, to do so is costly, and often, I think scores no longer represent students' test-taking skills more than students' knowledge. Moreover, common standardized tests like the SAT I tests students in only two subject areas, math and verbal. Not enough! Students spend immeasurable amounts of money yearly taking preparatory classes for a test that does not really cover the content covered in schools, but does ...

    Read More

  • High Stakes Testing Argument

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    We all know taking high-stakes tests are stressful but for a portion of students it makes them physically and mentally weakened, “Children are pressured to not only demonstrate their knowledge but to represent the effectiveness of their teachers and their schools. Teachers are reporting children throwing up, losing control of their bowels, and increased commitments for psychiatric and anxiety issues.” The evidence comes from real teachers that have to help these students through testing. An example like this clearly shows that these tests damage students, either mentally or physically which is never good for anyone. In light

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Standardized Testing

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this day of age, one of the most important requirements, one must have on a college application is a standardized test score. Whether it’s from the ACT or SAT, this score could give students the opportunity to get noticed by prestigious universities, helping them increase their chances of getting into any school that they aspire to go to. In fact, there is even more emphasis on such big exams like these nowadays because it is a state required test that is used in all colleges across the country. However, standardized testing is commonly misunderstood, and is used as an inaccurate representation of a student’s academic ability.

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Standardized Testing

    626 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sure, for some students, the testing may seem like a good idea, for their scores may be high, but for other students, why should they have a low score on the test when they score high on all other assignments? There are many people who get nervous during testing, and will begin to lose confidence. Therefore, they are most of the time unable to score a decent

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Standardized Testing

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    -- Leshay, 10th grade" (Ferroni). Students are supposed to have their test scores improve from the standardized exams, but that is not the result these kids are witnessing. " ‘To be honest, standardized testing is useless because it's supposed to show how smart someone is or whatever, but it's not actually accurate.’ -- Nervens, 10th grade"

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Persuasive Essay

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent students do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” This quote by Diane Ravitch really sums up what is wrong with tests like the ACT, SAT, and other standardized test. Many students do not have the spare time between other schoolwork and activities. For students who have to take these standardized tests, it takes away time to study from school, many can not work well around the numerous activities that they have going on, and it causes stress that you will not be good enough for a college education.

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Argument

    1372 Words  | 3 Pages

    The simplicity and blandness of these tests do not let students enjoy testing and don’t allow the students to be as creative as they are in tests given by teachers. In “The Problem With Testing” by Anya Kamenetz, it talks about how as people are being taught to these tests. The info is very bland and only touches on what the students have learned the whole year. The fact that a student’s intelligence is being measured by being tested on only a tiny piece of what the students have learned the whole year in itself should shut down standardized testing. Also, to go along with the way these tests have been given straightforwardly with not a single aspect of enjoyment, students can barely move while they’re testing. As well as that reason, there is another one, which is that when it comes to standardized tests, public education systems seem to not really care for the students. Nothing is creative about these tests. Think of the school year as going on vacation and standardized testing as airport security delaying a flight. The question is, how bad are these tests? This question brings us into the fact public education systems don’t care for students when it comes to standardized testing. “Testing and Its Enemies” by Abigail Thernstrom explains how in some educational systems, students can fail if they do not succeed in passing these annual tests, even if passing. How can school systems allow one annual test, that they can’t even look at, determine a student’s fate as a learner? Another article supporting the fact educational systems do not really care about students, especially when it comes to public education is “Can We Do Education Without

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing is NOT Effective

    2388 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Informative Essay

    1634 Words  | 4 Pages

    “We live in a test-conscious, test-giving culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance.” This quote by Sarason SB helps to explain the relevance of standardized testing in our day and age (Reteguiz 415). A standardized test requires all those taking the test to answer the same questions, and then the tests are scored in a standardized method in which the scores can be compared. Standardized tests are now used to compare students on academic levels, mental states, personality traits, and much more. The most common way in which standardized tests are used for are to judge students on their academic knowledge, and compare the scores to those of other students, classes, schools, states, nations, and worldwide.

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Standardized testing is constantly expanding and gaining importance in the education system of the United States, despite the controversy that comes along with it (Linn, 2001, p.29). Opinions of these tests are constantly being changed and argued among different groups. Many people believe that the importance of standardized tests has been stretched to a point of absolute ridiculousness. Standardized tests are being portrayed as ¨exhibiting greater precision and [scholarly] rigor than high-school grades,¨ which causes them to be considered of great importance(Geiser, Santelices, 2007, p.3). These tests are taken too heavily into consideration when assuming the intellectual abilities and future academic achievements of students, and are harmful to their mental health.

    Read More

  • Standardized Testing Argumentative Essay

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    While others argue that standardized tests ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers. Although, standardized tests are required nationwide, they shouldn’t continue due to student stress levels and the cost of standardized tests that could be used to helps schools financially. One of the major problems with standardized testing is the high stress levels that students have to go through. In a survey done, by the state’s School Boards Association and the state Association of School Psychologist, it stated that state tests are causing greater anxiety than local assessments. In addition, the anxiety that students also get from the tests has led some students to physical ailments.

    Read More

More about What Went Wrong With Standardized Testing

Open Document