Effects of standardized testing

 

Standardized tests have been debated and talked about for a while in the American education system. Standardized tests are administered to measure student achievement and the goal is to complete that at a fair level by placing all the students in the same testing conditions. There are also tests like the ACT and SAT to measure college readiness. These testing requirements are designed to hold educators, students, and schools accountable for academic achievement, measuring benchmarks as well as incentivizing improvement. The debate is focused on if standardized tests are an accurate assessment of student's academic abilities. Even though students are placed in the same testing environment, the test is objective and is leading the education system to create test takers, not focusing on the whole child. 

I do not believe standardized tests should be utilized in the American education system anymore. I vividly remember going to school growing up and dreading when I had to take a standardized test. You had to sit at a desk for hours on end, staring at a piece of paper, and expected to focus for the duration of the time. When I was a junior in high school and it was time to take the SAT/ACT, I cried for days because I felt like If I did not get a certain score I would fail at life and not get into any college. I had to take the ACT five times to get the score I wanted. I just remember taking these tests and thinking, "How does this tell a college who I really am?" The thing is, it does not. Standardized testing does not tell you anything about a student besides the fact that they can fill in a bunch of bubbles on a sheet. I addressed in my last post the idea of educators focusing on the "whole child approach" which basically means focusing on the child as a whole person rather than just a student. That is why education in America has shifted, we are focusing on creating test-takers instead of focusing on how we can shape their minds to explore and be creative. Standardized tests need to find their way out of the education system so the next generation won't be affected.