Essay on How Standardized Testing Effects the Education

As child growing up some of the frightful memories include a visit to the dentist; an evil man with scary drill whose solve purpose is to hurt you or the first day in elementary school you finally leave all behind the cozy classrooms and nap times of kindergarten and enter the big leagues. All of these are considered a cakewalk compared to standardize testing. Since the start of elementary school students in the United States are taught to test. In many instances students are held back or placed in remedial classes because of lower grades. But many don’t realize that some students are not great at testing taking and because of the lower grades some educators believe that these students are lower achievers. This leads to lower self-esteem†¦show more content†¦Under the current policy of No Child Left Behind, standards and assessments rest tightly at the national education policy, and remain the strongest force on policy and practice. However, despite the important role of high-stakes testing in the effort to improve America’s public education system, there have been numerous effects on schools, teachers, and students. Facing the pressure of standardized tests, students try to cram too much information in a short period of time. Memory capacity decreases from the stress of one high-pressure test that can decide whether they get left back to do an entire year over. Poor test results may also make them feel insecure about their intelligence and encourage them to give up. Therefore it is evident that many students in the United States have weakened the ability to think creatively. Christopher Longo states that Inquiry-based science instruction has led the way in assisting students in the process of discovering knowledge for themselves instead of simply being asked to recall information. Inquiry learning promotes creativity by increasing motivation, wonderment, and curiosity. The author proposes that inquiry is the key to enhancing creativity, while still meeting the demands of standardized testing (Longo 2). Inquiry based learning is a form ofShow MoreRelated Problems With Standardized Testing Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn Standardized Testing and Its Victims, an article written for Education Week, Alfie Kohn states: Standardized testing has swelled and mutated, like a creature in one of those old horror movies, to the point that it now threatens to swallow our schools whole.... Our children are tested to an extent that is unprecedented in our history and unparalleled anywhere else in the world. While previous generations of American students have had to sit through tests, never have the tests been given so frequentlyRead More The Negative Impact of High Stakes Standardized Testing1191 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing is not a new concept; it has been in use since the mid to late 1990’s. However the â€Å"high stakes† focus on standardized testing is. The practices that accompany standardized testing have long been in debate. Those in favor of standardized testing will argue that the testing creates a system that increases grades and accountability among teachers, students and school districts across the country. On the other hand those that oppose standardized testing wil l argue the ill effectsRead MoreTaking a Look at Standardized Testing1518 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized Testing Currently Standardized Testing is one of the many issues currently plaguing the education community. Testing is a very touchy and controversial topic in the politics of education, particularly in the United States. There are many varying opinions debating on the successes and failures in the process of testing today. The controversies over standardized testing in the United State, and specifically New Jersey, stem from the testing process and the creation of these tests. SomeRead MoreEssay On Standardized Testing1137 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing in public schools has become a norm across the United States. But, in Texas it has been found that students spend more time taking standardized tests than any other state (â€Å"Too Much Testing†). Standardized testing may be an asset to measure education, or more measure testing skills across the nation, but at what cost does it come? What are its effects on moral within the public education system, and how does the state govern ment of Texas interact within it. Why does the TexasRead MoreStandardized Testing Is Negatively Affecting The Quality Of Education Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized Testing Takes Its Toll On Education According to Linn, â€Å"Americans have had a love-hate relationship with educational testing†, and the controversies on the use of standardized tests will probably continue long after the twenty-first century (29). How can people see the ‘love’ in this use of testing that has negative long-term effects on students? Why should the controversies live on beyond this modern century? Standardized testing is negatively affecting the quality of education givenRead MoreEssay on Standardized Testing a Failure in Education1335 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized testing scores proficiencies in most generally accepted curricular areas. The margin of error is too great to call this method effective. â€Å"High test scores are generally related to things other than the actual quality of education students are receiving† (Kohn 7). â€Å"Only recently have test scores been published in the news-paper and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and s chools.†(2) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public SchoolRead MoreTesting Is A Form Of Testing Used By Our Educational System1002 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing is a form of testing used by our educational system to measure the success of a school’s students and faculty. A typical student takes 112 mandated standardized tests between PreKindergarten and twelfth grade. The use of these tests became mandatory in 2002 as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Although there are some individuals who support these tests, many parents, students, and teachers experience the negative effects year after year. Standardized tests impact studentsRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1302 Words   |  6 Pages Standardized Testing is a regulation of rigorous dialogue and debate. Both sides of this subject impose arguments based upon moral and financial justifications, and span from the local to national level of legislation . The policy of standardized testing as a means to identify schools who are lacking in successful educational processes neither harm school districts through unequal distribution of power, nor negatively affect students’ learning; rather, it benefits students, faculty, and districtsRead MoreEmphasis on Standardized Testing Essay1525 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout ones educational career, students are required to take standardized tests to show their progress and if they meet certain requirements they could qualify them for higher educational opportunities. Some common standardized test include: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), and Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Standardized tests are designed so that each person taking the test has theRead MoreStandardized Testing Should Be Discontinued887 Words   |  4 PagesYears ago, standardized testing was introduced to s chool systems to measure capability and knowledge of the students. The tests were supposed to help point out issues in the school’s instruction method and to encourage the administration to fix the problems. Even though these tests started as an excellent way to help the education system, their effects have changed over time. Standardized testing should be discontinued because it cannot represent the true knowledge of a student, it narrows what a