Standardized Testing By Tyler Ono English 100

Why is our society focused on standardized testing when it is biased and not helpful? Standardized tests hurt student more than they help them. Because of standardized testing, students are not taught the skills and information needed to start a life outside of school but instead are taught how to pass tests.

History of This Problem This problem starts from 1970 when the US saw its SAT scores dropping. The US tried to bring it’s scores up until in 1983 they declared in a report called “A Nation at Risk” that the “public school standards were too low.” In the 1980s and early 1990s, several governors argued that they had to test all their students to raise school standards and improve their economies. In 2002, President Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” law which required annual testing of all public school children in certain grades and required states to use results to help rate schools.

Personal Experiences I first encountered this problem during my senior year of high school. Was never taught life skills. Taught how to solve useless equations and how to pass the SAT. Remember all the tests I took and the Fs I got on some of them. Realized I didn’t learn anything Only class I learned life lessons and skills was in my music classes

Pros and Cons of Standardized Tests Pros Standardized testing gives parents a good idea of how their children are doing as compared to students across the country and locally. Indicates if a person is qualified for a certain role or position Standardized testing gives teachers guidance to help them determine what to teach students and when to teach it. Cons Standardized testing evaluates a student’s performance on one particular day and does not take into account external factors. Standardized testing causes many teachers to only “teach to the tests” Tests don’t account for or help students with learning disabilities or limited resources

Supporting Points The quality of instruction declines most for those who have least. Testing questions require a set of knowledge and skills more likely to be possessed by children from a privileged background. (How teaching test is flawed) Elementary school students (An article by Brooke Berger) are forced to put down anything they were learning for 9 weeks to focus on how to pass their standardized test.

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