Standardized Testing Is Necessary For Education - 2037 Words

Assessment, assessment, assessment, it is not fun and no student in their right mind would argue otherwise but testing is necessary. This one word has become the centerpiece of education not only in the United States but in the entire westernized world. Standardized testing has been used to measure teacher quality and student achievement since the mid-1800s. Within the last two decades standardized testing has taken on an important role in education in all 50 states since its mandate by President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. The use of standardized testing to measure progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and help professionals reach competency in their careers are critical to improvement of the educational system. There are many facts about standardized achievement testing: the public wants it, other nations may do it better, and many critics offer no viable alternatives to it (Haladyna, 2006). President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law on January 8, 2002, thus re-authorizing six more years of Johnson’s historic Elementary and Secondary Education Act initiative. The No Child Left Behind Act aims to reform education by improving academic standards, with goals such as: holding states more accountable for results, creating greater flexibility at the state and local levels, expanding options and choice for parents, emphasizing teacher quality and effective teaching methods, and confirming states progress (Fritzberg 2004, p. 11). It expanded theShow MoreRelatedEmphasis 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 Admis sion 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 MoreThe Importance Of Standardized Testing In Education1140 Words   |  5 PagesThe standardized test has become the staple of the United States K12 education system. Students at all levels are routinely tested, and schools evaluated based on the scores. It’s easy to look at this as a necessary part of the system, a needed way of assessing both school and individual student performance to ensure quality across all schools. These tests are regarded as a tried-and true way of doing this, when in reality they are neither old nor accurate in assessment. I move in this essay thatRead MoreStudent Assessment - The Importance of Standardized Testing Essay1149 Words   |  5 PagesThe point here is that standardized testing is necessary to evaluate students and programs achievement or ability. In my opinion it is a good basic start to understanding the development of human- kind in many aspects. For example, in a school setting, standardizing tests are used to measure developmental stages or reading levels, just to name a few. School Psychologist and Counselors use standardizing testing to look at the development of students. They will agree severe disabilities to be initiallyRead MoreStandardized Testing Has a Negative Effect on American Youth Essay1133 Words   |  5 Pagesbattlefield. High stakes were placed on this test 93 years ago; high stakes are placed on tests modeled after them today. The standardized achievement tests commonly used in schools today evolved from the Army Alphas developed by the American Psychological Association. This is precisely the problem. Standardized tests are old and outdated, and the harm they cause to America’s education system by far out-weighs the benefits. These tests were intended to monitor and offer ways to improve how public schoolsRead MoreThe National Assessment Of Educational Progress877 Words   |  4 Pagesbe told this during their freshman orientation. These students will be surprised to find that their previous education did not prepare them to be successful in a university setting. The long and arduous process necessary to turn students into test taking machines seems to make them less capable of cognitive reasoning, thus not adequately training them to use critical thinking as is necessary in universities. You’d think the educators of our public school systems would be aware and inclined to resolveRead MoreSuccess Is The Sum Of All Efforts, Repeated Day And Day Out By Robert Collier958 Words   |  4 PagesMany educational opportunities are based on a student s standardized testing scores and how well the student performs, but the thing that matters most is not standardized testing, its the student’s day to day performance and activities. Standardized testing defeats the purpose of knowledg e and focuses on the scores neglecting the material. Standardized testing is an organized and accurate way to measure a student’s intelligence. â€Å"Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT have been shown to be effectiveRead MoreIt Is No Surprise That Today’S Education System Is Not1721 Words   |  7 Pagessurprise that today’s education system is not in the best shape. In a system where students are more focused on what is going on at home than their school work, testing is the main focus, schools are underfunded, and teachers are underpaid, something has got to change in order to move our system in a positive direction that is necessary for students to get the most out of the public education system. These are just some of the many problems we are faced with in today’s education system. An article IRead MoreStandardized Tests Are Not A Success1347 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized Tests are Not a Success Standardized testing has been ruling over the lives of students, making or breaking them in their education without fair judgement. Tests like the SAT and the ACT count for way too much when applying to colleges, which in turn limits the student s capabilities to thrive in an environment that would benefit them. There are many problems within a standardized test that deems them to be unreliable as a true test of knowledge. Although designed to test groups ofRead 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 schools.†(2 ) Standardized testing is a great travesty imposed upon the American Public SchoolRead MoreThe Right Path For America s Education1232 Words   |  5 PagesYun Hee Sul Professor ENG 111 November 09, 2015 The Right Path for America’s Education â€Å"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education† (qtd. in, The Function of Education) is one of many famous quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. that many Americans remember. However, the contemporary American education seems way off the path. Instead of learning to think intensively and critically, students these