The Beast that is Standardized Testing

CAP Critical Thinking Paper

For years students have been complaining, stressing, and dreading standardized tests. Many people dismiss their gripes as normal teenage behavior; however there is more truth to these complaints than it may seem. The US Government should completely repeal the No Child Left Behind Act and the Race to the Top Program, which both emphasize standardized testing, because standardized tests dont reliably measure a students performance, they put undue stress on students, and they narrow a schools curriculum to the detriment of the students. Standardized testing as we know it today started with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), enacted by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, which included testing and accountability provisions in an effort to raise standards and make education more equitable (ProCon.org). This act led to President Bushs No Child Left Behind Act, which mandated annual testing in reading and math (and later science) in Grades 3 through 8 and again in 10th Grade. If schools did not show sufficient "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP), they faced sanctions and the possibility of being taken over by the state or closed (ProCon.org). This act was then amended by President Obamas Race to the Top program, which [invited] states to compete for $4.35 billion in extra funding based on the strength of their student test scores (ProCon.org). While these acts were meant to help improve the quality of education, they werent sufficient. This is because they made schools focus their attention on producing good test scores instead of producing good overall students. The first problem with standardized tests is that they dont reliably measure a students performance because a test score doesnt necessarily relate to the students overall educational experience. Standardized tests tend to measure the temporary acquisition of facts and skills, including the skill of test-taking itself, more than genuine understanding (Kohn). This is why students who may not necessarily do well on classwork or homework can still earn high test

scores. Also, Standardized tests are biased in favor of those whose culture and upbringing most closely resemble that of the test makers-typically, white middle-class males who live in metropolitan areas (Heinemann). While these things may be good for some students, it can be unfortunate for others. Many students, who showcase an actual understanding of the topic, may still earn a low test score because they do not have good test taking skills, or they had other problems on test day that caused them to do poorly. In addition, many students dont fit the requirements of a student who can do well on the test (white, middle class, male). Standardized tests do not take into account how the student learns or how well they understand the topic. They only acknowledge how many questions the student got wrong and how many the student got right. In other words, standardized tests are positively correlated with a shallow approach to learning (Kohn). This is why they should not be used to determine a students overall performance. The second problem with standardized tests is that they place severe stress on students which can lead to serious problems for the student. According to education researcher, Gregory J. Cizek, testing... produces gripping anxiety in even the brightest students, and makes young children vomit or cry, or both (ProCon.org). Anxiety and stress are very serious, especially in children. Being overstressed or overly anxious can lead to suicide in some cases. More often, students will begin to doubt themselves which can lead to doing poorly on the test that they were so concerned about, which only leads to more stress. Stress from standardized tests usually stems from the facts that kids have it drilled into their minds that their whole life is based off of their test scores. Virtually all relevant experts and organizations condemn the practice of basing important decisions, such as graduation or promotion, on the results of a single test (Kohn).

Standardized tests are stressful in general, but when topped with the idea that they define ones life, its no wonder that so many students dread them. The third and final problem with standardized tests is that they narrow a schools curriculum, because teachers focus the curriculum around what will be on the test. A national 2007 study by the Center on Education Policy reported that since 2001, 44% of school districts had reduced the time spent on science, social studies and the arts by an average of 145 minutes per week in order to focus on reading and math (ProCon.org) The time taken away from learning other subjects to focus on the subjects that will be on tests, takes away from the overall education of the students. This is unhelpful to the students, because it narrows the amount of knowledge they have when facing the real world. A student needs a broad education in order to succeed and by focusing only on whats on the test, they ultimately end up with a narrower mind. Possibly one of the most disturbing things taken way from students are discussions about current events (since that material will not appear on the test), (Kohn). This is terrible for the students because everyone should be up to date on what is going on in the world. Taking away key aspects of education in order to focus on test preparation is to the detriment of the students, which is why standardized tests are bad for a schools overall curriculum. There will be many repercussions if the No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top program arent repealed. First, many good teachers will be driven out because of standardized testing. Good teachers are often discouraged, even disgusted, by the overemphasis on testing. Many excellent teachers leave. It is absurd to believe that the "best and brightest" will want to become teachers when teaching is reduced to test prep (Fairtest). Second, students will be unprepared for life out of school, due to the emphasis on test-taking in schools. Standardized tests encourage a simplistic way of thinking in which there are only right and wrong answers,

which doesn't apply in real-world situations (ProCon.org). Third, standardized tests will lead to many students developing a feeling of failure, which leads them to drop out. [Students] who are retained do not improve academically, are emotionally damaged by retention, suffer a loss of interest in school and self-esteem, and are more likely to drop out of school (Fairtest). Standardized testing needs to be stopped, and the best way to do this is by repealing the No Child Left Behind Act and the Race to the Top program. One question that is raised when the topic of ending standardized testing is brought up is: if standardized testing is ended, how will we track a students progress? The answer to this is simple, because there are two main alternatives to standardized testing. The first alternative is a performance assessment. Performance assessment looks at actual student work produced over time, and-potentially, at least-at the processes by which the students produce such work, both individually and collaboratively (Heinemann). This alternative allows a students progress to be shown without having them take a stressful standardized test. The second alternative is a portfolio assessment. [Portfolio] assessment focuses on students' products and processes of learning, but also on their growth in other areas, such as their interest in reading and writing, their concept of themselves as readers and writers, and their ability to evaluate their own work and set goals for themselves as learners (Heinemann). This alternative allows students to see their progress as well as develop their interests in other areas. Both of these alternatives track a students progress just as well if not better than a standardized test, which is why standardized tests are unnecessary. Standardized test are a blemish on the institution of education, and need to be extracted. They arent a reliable way to measure a students progress, they stress out students, and they narrow a schools curriculum. They also lead to a higher student and teacher dropout rate and

leave students unprepared to face the real world. Plus, they are other far more effective ways of tracking a students progress. For these reasons, the No Child Left Behind Act and the Race to the Top program should be repealed.

Works Cited Fairtest. "The Dangerous Consequences of High-Stakes Standardized Testing." FairTest. Ed. Fairtest. FairTest.org, 17 Dec. 2007. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.fairtest.org/facts/Dangerous%20Consequences.html>. The goal of FairTest is to distribute information on standardized testing. This is an overview that was very relevant to my topic. The purpose of this source is to inform. This is a webpage. The knowledge level for this source is high-school age and above. I got a lot of information from this source. Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." Education Week. Ed. Alfie Kohn. Education Week, 27 Sept. 2000. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/staiv.htm>. Kohn is a reputable author who writes book on education and human behavior. This source has a detailed list of facts. The author's purpose is to inform. This source is a web page. The knowlegde level of this site is high school age and above. I gained a lot of information from this source. ProCon.org, ed. "Standardized Tests." ProCon.org. Ed. ProCon.org. procon.org, 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://standardizedtests.procon.org/#did_you_know>. ProCon.org is a reliable source for pro and con arguments on different topics. This webpage shares both opinions and facts for both sides of the argument. The point of the webpage is to argue two different points of view. The knowledge level is high school age and higher. I gained a lot of information from this source. Weaver, Constance, ed. "Facts on Standardized Tests and Assessment Alternatives." Heinemann. Ed. Heinemann. Heinemann, 1996. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. <http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/08894/08894f10.html>. An

overview of facts on standardized testing and alternatives, that is useful to my project. This source's purpose is to inform and it doesn't have any weaknesses or biases. This source is a web page. The knowledge level of this source is high school age and above. This source gave me a lot useful information.