...Standardized Testing: Harmful to Learning Standardized Testing: Harmful to Learning Currently impressionable youth are receiving test results that may seem of little consequence to most but to them it says they are not good enough, or smart enough. Many students have received these results and felt the disappointment it can bring not only to their academic life but also how it melts into their self-esteem and self-worth. Even a teacher feeling they have failed there students, being unable to achieve certain marks knowing students will suffer not only academically but also loose funding for programs that they so desperately need or want. These negative connotations along with incidents of impropriety have come to light in the process of standardized testing in our schools across the nations. Standardized testing has created a test driven education, altering teaching strategies with a higher stress environment for not only teachers but students as well, and has great consequences for all involved if they fail to meet mandated scores. History of Testing Testing isn’t new to education yet it has changed dramatically from where it started many years ago. The history of testing dates back for many centuries for many different reasons including our military, but most are centered on education and its effectiveness as a whole. When the military introduced aptitude tests they where to help find suitable candidates for positions such as officers, and other special...
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...Testing in schools has always been common; teachers need a way to arbitrate if students are understanding and obtaining the knowledge being taught. However, a different type of test is becoming prominent in school systems. Standardized testing, examinations administered and scored in a standard manner (7), are taking over the school systems. Standardized tests administered to students are either aptitude tests or achievement tests. Aptitude tests predict student’s performance, like the common ACT and SAT that colleges frequently use; achievement tests evaluate teacher and school effectiveness (7). Although standardized tests are becoming significant in school curriculum, the results do not accurately represent student or teacher abilities....
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...Financial incentives, Standardized Tests is this the right path? Have you ever wondered what educational value a standardized test brings to high school students? If you are having trouble answering that question, well do not be alarmed because you are not alone. This question has been on the minds of many people for a very long time. Many people believe that standardized testing is essential for children to be educated; although, on the other hand there is another group of people that believe standardized testing is pointless. This particular argument is up to an individual’s opinion; although, what is not a matter of opinion is if rewarding students with a financial reward or incentive to put standardized testing as a first priority is a good idea. To give a financial incentive to a high school student for his or her performance on a standardized test is not only an unethical practice, it also will not increase standardized test scores or productivity on an academic level. The argument on the actual educational value of a standardized test has been debated for decades now. Some believe that standardized tests are culturally Bias. Others argue that standardized tests hold no value in educating young students. Then there is the state and federal governments who believe that a standardized test is the only way of gauging if a student has learned anything. The issue of standardized testing has been a sore sport of discussion amongst all people that believe getting an...
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...Standardized testing is a topic that everybody knows all too well because we all have had to experience some form of a standardized test. The two most common and popular of these tests are the ACT and the SAT. Depending in which region you live in, you will take one of those test during your educational career. But, does taking that test really decide how smart you actually are. Eleven years of schooling and one of those tests will decide what college you go to and what you will do for the rest of your life. People have all different types of talents and these test favor the people who are good at school but, what about the kids who are good musicians or good athletes? Why should a test decide how smart they are when the activities that those kids are exceeding in, aren’t on...
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...What role should standardized testing play in Texas' public education system? The methods by which children are educated and academically measured in Texas have evolved over the past few decades, due to federal and state directed education policies. In an effort to establish accountability and improve the nation's competitiveness on a global scale, standardized testing has become a driving component of curricula nationwide. Almost every state, including Texas, governs its public schools under a national policy directive known as the "No Child Left Behind Act" (NCLB). The NCLB requires all states to utilize assessments to determine and report if a school has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) in the proficiency levels of all students. This is a relatively recent shift from local control of schools to centralized governance which is intended to improve education and eliminate harmful disparities in education quality (Ricci 342). Instead of school districts determining education standards, the state and federal governments provide the policy direction. One method to assess education performance and compliance with the centralized policy is the use of accountability measures - i.e., standardized tests. The NCLB, coupled with state policy, is intended to decrease inequality and set an objective measurement in place where school districts, schools, teachers, and even students can be held accountable for their progress or lack thereof. However, there are arguments from opponents...
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...Analysis of the Standardized Testing KunQian(Lorraine) Heidelberg University Nowadays, standardized tests have been regarded as an important part in our lives for many years. In other words, they are not new things for most people who have experienced edu-cation. When the children began to enter the kindergarten, standardized tests exist until they be-come adults and go to work. Standardized tests are designed for different groups but base on one standard. Moreover, standardized tests are controversial all the time, because some educa-tional are wondering that whether these tests can reflect the learning level of students and are suitable for everyone to take it. Some people argue that the standardized tests should...
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...Incorporating Changes to the Current Standardized Testing Program Rowan University February 9, 2016 Standardized testing has become a subject of debate in the U.S education system. The New Jersey Department of Education replaced its previous common core testing, NJASK and HSPA, in 2014, with a single new standardized test, PARCC, for all grades from 3-12 as the single statewide assessments tool (“PARCC Assessment,” 2016). Many, if not, all states have their own version of standardized testing programs at their grade and high school level, but the question arises as to how accurately standardized tests measure current students and future potential toward college. Some will agree with J. Pollard (2002) that ‘we need standardized tests, if only because we have no alternative method of measuring student achievement, and making sure that all kids are getting a decent education’. Others will argue that it is a distractor and negatively impacts a students’ long term motivation and that it causes unnecessary stress (“High stakes testing,” 2016). If we decided to abandon such testing as PARCC, what will replace it? This paper will look into the issue of standardized testing, offer some alternatives methods that reflect changes in assessments and looking into a means to address the issue at the National level. The end result would be an assessment system that can continue to evaluate our children in the holistic view for future advances into higher...
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...pressure, the nerve-racking time limits, and the “oh my gosh I only have more five minutes but two whole columns left to bubble” feeling. But most importantly, we all understand how much college admission hinges on how well we perform on these standardized tests. III. Thesis Statement and Preview: However, standardized testing has long-standing problems of inaccuracy, inequalities, and inducing test anxiety which I will later discuss in detail. Because of these flaws, the college...
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...Abstract Standardized testing does not define ones intelligence or ability. There has always been a quarrel about the tests: students may be very intelligent but are really bad test takers. The No child left behind act was an educational preference forced upon educators that will help them gain an equal opportunity at academic success. The law would promote this through standardized tests. Standardized testing may help students gain wonderful academic success however there are also things that can hinder scholars as well. Standardized testing has its advantages and disadvantages. Over the years standardized testing has been a trending topic, some people are in favor for the test while others are not. How can one test determine an individual’s ability or intelligence when students are people with needs and concerns beyond standardized testing! What is standardized testing? Standardized tests are tests where students answer multiple choice questions where each question only has one correct answer and are usually designed from experience and not theory (How standardized testing damages education ). The tests are based on educational aspects such as reading, math, and science skills (depending upon the type of standardized test being provided). Standardized testing is a law required aspect that is supposed to help scholars academic success and schools expand (with the use of federal funding). Various types of popular standardized test in the United States include Scholastic...
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...Lorna personally does not like standardized testing because it is really stressful for her. Standardized testing is damaging! Standardized testing has lots of benefits as well people may argue. For example they show the school districts lots of data and lets teachers know has to be cover again. Although people may think differently there is a lot that cause more damage than more beneficial. For instant they cause stress on students, they’re are too many tests and they are very expensive. We should not have standardized testing because of the bad things that could occur! One reason why we should not do standardized testing is because it causes stress. Stress if one thing that might occur when testing is coming or is present. Going home...
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...Standardized Testing- How Beneficial is it? Student Name Toulmin Model Position Paper English Comp II – 112 Phaire Due Date – mm/dd/yy Word Count – nnn Outline Position Statement: Is ‘No Child Left Behind’ a valid method of assessing school, teacher and student performance? No, I do not think this act is a valid method to assess school, teacher and student performance. Rhetorical Context: This issue will address all the problems that are occurring because of the standardized testing which is taking place in all public schools. This issue is important to parents who have children going to public schools because it gives them an overview of what is wrong with this act. It is also important for the teachers and school administrators since they take some part in shaping the curriculum around standardized testing. Audience Analysis: The audience for this essay will be the parents because they are able to make changes to this act. Many parents may not understand the problems that this act is causing which can be quite harmful for their children. Many parents let the government make laws for the schools, because they think if the government is doing it, it must be right. Claim: The ‘No Child Left Behind’ act is not a valid method to assess school, teacher and student performance. Reasons: There are many reasons why ‘No Child Left Behind is not working. 1. The same tests are used for all students...
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...Standardized Testing To write a good informative paper, writers need to have three basic criteria in their paper: examples, statistics, and credibility. Right now the big concern in the education system and amongst school administrators deals with the issue of standardized testing. In Don W. Hooper’s 2001 paper on “Accountability for Student Success” published by the American Association of School Administrators, he states that if planned properly the accountability system can greatly improve education. Later in time Childhood Education published Bobbie A. Solley’s 2007 paper “On Standardized Testing: An ACEI Position Paper” which states that the test only focus on what they need to know for the government test instead of actually learning critical thinking and problem solving. Hooper and Solley explain their viewpoints on standardized testing and whether or not it has positive or negative effects on students learning ability. The first type of criteria is examples, which helps with showing that the writer knows what he, or she is talking about. This is important because with evidence the reader knows that some of the paper is actually true and not bias information. In Hooper’s paper he claims schools would fail if they did not have standardized tests. In his second paragraph Hooper gives two scenarios between two different students. The first student is in a relaxed environment were they do not really know the objective, but as long as they pass the test made by...
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...Is standardized testing an accurate way to measure student success in the classroom? This seems to be the biggest question when it comes to understanding the issue behind standardized testing today. Some people, like Dr. Gail Goss, believe that “such testing gives the teacher important diagnostic information about what each child is learning in relation to what he has been taught”, while comparing that student to others all over the country. However, some leaders in education, like President of Hampshire College Jonathan Lash, believe that standardized testing in no way shows the true success of a student because it simply “reduce[s] education to the outcomes of a test, [and makes] the only incentive for schools and students to innovate in...
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...10/25/10 Over the years standardized testing has played a major role on education. Preparation for these test has become important for teachers since a student may take a least one standardized test per year. And therein lies the problem; relying heavily on standardized test, whether or not these test actually have reliable scores and are worth the extensive focus. Standardized test negatively affect student learning because they focus on certain topics and generate unreliable test scores due to certain factors. These factors include limitation of creativity, narrowing of curriculum, use of outdated methods, repetition, race and gender. In my research I have found significant data supporting my views. But first it is important to understand what standardized tests are. Standardized tests are different from other testing because they have uniform procedure. This means that they have the same time limits, fixed set of questions, and the scoring is also carefully outlined and uniform. Standardized test are usually scored objectively but there can be some questions such as a short answer question or personality questions which can be scored differently. Almost all test can be classified as informal or formal; a test given and create by a teacher is informal, but a standardized test is classified as formal (Mehrens and Lehmannn). There are certain characteristics a test must have to be a standardized test. The first characteristic is that the test...
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...Standardized Testing: An Ineffective Way to Measure Students’ Intelligence High-stakes testing turns many classrooms and schools into prep centers rather than offering rich, engaging, well-rounded instruction. Rote and narrow instruction bores and alienates students, making them tune out and feel they are little more than their scores (FairTest, 2004). High schools exit exams (FairTest, 2008) push many thousands of students out of school. As a result of these factors, urban graduation rates have decreased. Some students see no realistic option other than dropping out; some are deliberately pushed out or fail the tests. Either way, these young people are much more likely to end up in trouble or in prison. ("How Testing Feeds the School-to-Prison Pipeline") According to Peter D. Hart, a research associate for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, standardized tests unfairly measure students’ intelligence and academic performance. Therefore, the tests must be changed drastically or abandoned completely. Educators and parents have vocalized their view on the rising number of standardized tests the government has implemented in efforts to improve education in American schools. In light of the No Child Left Behind legislation under President George W. Bush, the government administers more and more tests to children, predominantly in lower grade levels ("Standardized Testing"). Along with No Child Left Behind, opponents have shown their disapproval of these...
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