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Standardized Testing Argument

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Many of us have dreaded standardized testing. I know I have, as I was always trying to prepare myself whether it was taking classes offered after class, or just putting that extra time in at home. Standardized testing shouldn't be used to measure a students ability and knowledge in school. "The Council of Chief State School Officers and the country's largest school districts have spoken out in favor of reducing the number of standardized tests students take. The national teachers unions and other traditionally Democratic groups are on board with the idea too"(Kamenetz).

Students aren't provided the feedback they'd like after taking a standardized test. One thing a student always looks forward to after taking a test is see their score along …show more content…
The test only consists of four basic subjects: math, English, history, and science. No where on the test does it consist of anything in regards to a student as a whole. "Every student is a unique individual with their own talents and abilities. The standardized testing regime fails to recognize the importance of individual achievement in education and instead uses a "cookie cutter" approach to learning that ignores students' individual interests and abilities" (Strauss). Students excel in curricular activities which make them unique and stand out. We should be encouraging students to not only partake in these activities, but reiterate the importance of them as the standardized test does not. "The overemphasis on testing has led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that provide students with an opportunity to be creative and imaginative, and scripted curriculum has become the norm in many classrooms" …show more content…
Some possible alternatives instead of standardized testing are sampling. Sampling consists of "a simple approach, same tests, just fewer of 'em. Accountability could be achieved at the district level by administering traditional standardized tests to a statistically representative sampling of students, rather than to every student every year" (Kamenetz). Another alternative would be a stealth assessment including math and reading, but put together in a different manner. "Stealth assessment doesn't just show which skills a student has mastered at a given moment. The pattern of answers potentially offers insights into how quickly students learn, how diligent they are and other big-picture factors" (Kamenetz). Lastly, and personally my favorite approach is the performance or portfolio-based assessments. When incorporating a portfolio based assessment it allows a student to collect work over a certain period of time. In using their portfolio it gives them the opportunity to show their best work from projects, papers, and

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