Standardized tests are common in most educational systems. Standardized testing is the practice of creating tests that always measure students on the same scale, with consistent questions and grading standards. Standardized testing has been around for over hundred years, but it didn’t become widespread until the United States passed the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ in 2001. Standardized testing has been occurring for a very long time and there are many advantages and disadvantages. Standardized testing is good because it provides schools with an assessment of how the students in their school system are doing.
Standardized tests can help teachers to improve their teaching methods, because teachers can see which areas that they need to work on or change. Standardized testing helps colleges decide whom they should accept into the college by giving them a clear understanding of each student’s abilities based on test scores. Standardized tests also provide data about each school system as whole, which lets each school knows how well their students measure up against other schools and standards around the world (although this information cannot be used to compare students from one country to another).
Standardized tests allow parents to know how their children are doing in school, because schools will send home a report of the student’s test scores. Standardized tests also provide some accountability for teachers and schools, because they can prove that students have learned something throughout the school year. Standardized tests are bad because they only measure one test score within one specific time frame. Standardized testing is unfair to students who have good grades but just happened to have performed poorly on that day of the test.
Standardized tests do not accurately represent what a student has truly learned. Standardized testing puts too much pressure on students, especially high school seniors taking college entrance exams or middle schoolers being tested for gifted programs. Standardized testing does not give any information about how well students are applying their knowledge, or how students approach a problem and solve it. Standardized tests can also be expensive to create and administer, which is why many schools opt to pay for standardized test preparation courses instead of using their resources for other valuable resources.
Standardized testing only provides one type of assessment, which limits the understanding of what a student is able to do. Standardized tests also put minorities at an unfair disadvantage due to socioeconomic factors that often determine the quality of education that a child will receive in school (Liu). Standardized testing is an accurate reflection on what current standards are like within the nation’s educational system (Kohn). Standardized tests provide all teachers with information about where they need to improve or review their teaching methods (Darling-Hammond 92).
Standardized tests create a more equal playing field for students and parents, because the test scores will not be affected by students’ prior knowledge or their educational opportunities (Liu). Standardized tests provide information about how well the nation’s school system is doing as a whole, which allows each individual school system to improve where it needs to (Duemler). Standardized testing provides parents with information about how well their child is progressing in school (Fish 261-269).
Standardized testing also gives teachers an idea of what they need to work on within their own classroom (Darling-Hammond 110-116). Standardized tests help colleges decide whom they should accept into their college through entrance exams. Standardized tests can give schools and teachers feedback that they need to work on in order to improve (Darling-Hammond 92). Standardized tests make the playing field more even when it comes to students’ test scores, because some students may not test well when they take their exams (Liu).
Standardized testing also holds teachers accountable for what they are teaching their students. Standardized tests can give an accurate representation of how well a student is doing academically, and if they need any help before taking the standardized test (Duemler). Standardized testing provides information about each school system as a whole, which helps schools know where they should put more money into so that their students will be able to compete with other high performing school systems around the nation (Liu).
Standardized tests create a more equal playing field for all students because it will not be affected by any of the following factors: past knowledge, home situation, and poverty (Duemler). Standardized testing provides parents with information about how their child is doing academically at school. Standardized tests may also provide a certain level of motivation for students to do well in school if they know that there will be consequences if they don’t perform well on the exams (Darling-Hammond 92).
Standardized tests give schools and teachers feedback so that they can fix an issue within their system before it becomes a problem (Darling-Hammond 110-116). Standardized tests help the nation as a whole see where they need to improve within education, which helps schools put money where they need to so that education within the nation will improve (Liu). Standardized testing provides schools with information about how each school is doing as a whole, which allows schools to better understand what they are doing right, and what needs to be improved on (Duemler).
Standardized tests provide an accurate representation of how students are performing in school. Standardized testing gives parents an idea about how well their child is academically achieving at school. Standardized tests may also encourage students to do better in school because they know that their scores could have consequences for them if it does not meet the standard set by the standardized test (Darling-Hammond 92).
Standardized tests help teachers determine about what they can do differently when teaching next year so that their students can perform better academically (Darling-Hammond 110-116). Standardized tests provide an accurate representation of how well a school system is doing as a whole, which allows schools to put money where they need to in order for all the students within a school system to achieve at a higher level (Liu). Standardized testing makes education more equal because it will not be affected by any of the following factors: past knowledge, home situation, and poverty (Duemler).
Standardized tests make schools accountable for what they are teaching their students. Standardized tests give schools feedback on what they need to work on in order for the nation’s education ranking to increase. Standardized tests may also motivate students into doing better in school if their score does not meet the standard set by the standardized tests. Standardized tests give parents an idea about how well their child is achieving academically at school.
Standardized testing ensures that all students within a school system are being taught the same information, which makes education more equal for all students (Liu). Standardized tests create a more equal playing field for all students because it will not be affected by any of the following factors: past knowledge, home situation, and poverty (Duemler). Standardized testing also gives teachers feedback to help them make a change in order to better their teaching techniques so that they can improve student achievement (Darling-Hammond 110-116).