Essay on Standardized Testing a Failure in Education

Standardized testing scores proficiencies in most generally accepted curricular areas. The margin of error is too great to call this method effective. â€Å"High test scores are generally related to things other than the actual quality of education students are receiving† (Kohn 7). â€Å"Only recently have test scores been published in the news-paper and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and schools.†(2) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public School system. Politicians claim that Accountability is needed. Dylan Wiliam wrote that â€Å"The logic of accountability is deceptively simple†(110) He goes on to say that â€Å"students attending higher quality schools will (by definition) have higher†¦show more content†¦While differences of scores on these tests should represent the quality of the education at the schools, â€Å"whether such inferences are valid depend wholly on the extent to which the tests used adequately represent the construct of interest (what schools are designed to develop in their students) (110). These tests don’t necessarily represent what the school curriculum is designed to teach. Standardized testing is an inaccurate term because we lack a national standard. Diane Ravitch maintains that â€Å"In the absence of national standards, we have evolved a haphazard, accidental, dis-connected national curriculum based on mass-market text-books and standardized multiple-choice tests† (767). How can we even call these tests standardized as when there is no national standard? Teachers who as Kohn described it have a â€Å"dislike/hate relationship with testing† are â€Å"forced to care about the scores† of testing through coercion and â€Å"public shaming† (19,20). It seems as if â€Å"support for testing grows as you move away from the students† (19). â€Å"Those for whom classroom visits are occasional photo opportunities are most likely to be big fans of testing and to offer self-congratulatory sound bites about the need for accountability† (19). Education has become shaped by politicians rather than educators. This isShow MoreRelatedStandardized Testing Is Not As Harmless1394 Words   |  6 Pages but they often only make it worse as they add to the ever increasing stress load of the impending doom of standardized testing. Standardized Testing is not as harmless as it seems. It often affects students on a mental level, making them extremely nervous, then breaking them down on a mental level. It also hurts the teache rs in many ways, including temptation to cheat. Standardized testing is at a new high in America and is said to benefit students in many ways, including raising intelligence, howeverRead More Problems With Standardized Testing Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn Standardized Testing and Its Victims, an article written for Education Week, Alfie Kohn states: Standardized testing has swelled and mutated, like a creature in one of those old horror movies, to the point that it now threatens to swallow our schools whole.... Our children are tested to an extent that is unprecedented in our history and unparalleled anywhere else in the world. While previous generations of American students have had to sit through tests, never have the tests been given so frequentlyRead MoreW. James Popham, Former President Of The American Education1354 Words   |  6 PagesW. James Popham, former president of the American Education Research Association, defines standardized testing as, â€Å"Any tests that are administered, scored, and interpreted in a standard predetermined manner.† (Background). Standardized tests, such as the SAT or ACT, have been included in the American education ever since the mid-1800s. These certain tests incorporate multiple choice questions which could be graded easily with haste by the usage of automated test scoring machine s. The tests alsoRead MoreEssay On Standardized Testing1137 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing in public schools has become a norm across the United States. But, in Texas it has been found that students spend more time taking standardized tests than any other state (â€Å"Too Much Testing†). Standardized testing may be an asset to measure education, or more measure testing skills across the nation, but at what cost does it come? What are its effects on moral within the public education system, and how does the state government of Texas interact within it. Why does the TexasRead MoreTesting Is A Form Of Testing Used By Our Educational System1002 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing is a form of testing used by our educational system to measure the success of a school’s students and faculty. A typical student takes 112 mandated standardized tests between PreKindergarten and twelfth grade. The use of these tests became mandatory in 2002 as part of the No Chi ld Left Behind Act. Although there are some individuals who support these tests, many parents, students, and teachers experience the negative effects year after year. Standardized tests impact studentsRead MoreTaking a Look at Standardized Testing1518 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized Testing Currently Standardized Testing is one of the many issues currently plaguing the education community. Testing is a very touchy and controversial topic in the politics of education, particularly in the United States. There are many varying opinions debating on the successes and failures in the process of testing today. The controversies over standardized testing in the United State, and specifically New Jersey, stem from the testing process and the creation of these tests. SomeRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Standardized Testing1120 Words   |  5 Pagespercent of National Education Association teacher members surveyed considered leaving the profession of teaching due to the adverse effects of standardized testing.† Testing has evolved over time from basic reading, writing, and arithmetic to curriculum based on standardized testing such as the ACT, SAT, and TCAP. Many years ago, students did not have to take as many tests, and there were not as many opportunities for different types of classes. Schools have evolved as standardized test evolved, andRead MoreStandardized Testing Essay examples1573 Words   |  7 PagesStandardized Testing Every year thousands upon thousands of children, ages seven and upwards sit down to take their scheduled standardized tests. This generation has been classified as the most tested in history. Its progress through childhood and adolescence has been punctuated by targets, key stages, attainment levels, and qualifications (Stalin in School 8). Each year the government devises a new standard and then finds a way to test how each student measures up to this standard. TheyRead MoreEmphasis on Standardized Testing Essay1525 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout ones educational career, students are required to take standardized tests to show their progress and if they meet certain requirements they could qualify them for higher educational opportunities. Some common standardized test include: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), and Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Standardized tests are designed so that each person taking the test has theRead More Standardized Testing Essay example1558 Words   |  7 PagesStandardized Testing Every year thousands upon thousands of children, ages seven and upwards sit down to take their scheduled standardized tests. This generation has been classified as the most tested in history. Its progress through childhood and adolescence has been punctuated by targets, key stages, attainment levels, and qualifications (Stalin in School 8). Each year the government devises a new standard and then finds a way to test how each student measures up to this standard. They