Argument Against Standardized Testing

Standardized tests are destroying our academic integrity, causing schools to drill core curriculum into students, creating a one size fits all standard for students to adapt to, and placing teachers and students under tremendous stress while leaving American children behind academically.
Body Paragraph 1- Drilling Curriculum
Topic Sentence: Drilling curriculum into students has become an everyday practice in schools across the United States.
Evidence: According to Tim Walker, writer for NeaToday in his article, “Our schools, once vigorous and dynamic centers for learning, have been reduced to mere test prep factories, where teachers and students act out a script written by someone who has never visited their classroom and where ‘achievement’ means nothing more than scoring well on a bubble test”(3).
Summation of importance of quote: This is not uncommon in schools across the United States. Many argue that standardized tests are
essential to evaluate the success of teachers and students. Though this may seem like an easy way to assess schools, teachers are decreasing creativity by being told what and how to teach curriculum. As result teachers are focusing too much on teaching to the test and not enough time on other essential subjects.

Evidence: The most comprehensive national research, conducted by National Research Council, indicates that test based incentives increase teaching to the test and is an inflated and inaccurate representation of student knowledge. The NRC concluded that tests have not increased student achievement, but have raised the dropout rate (Written Testimony).
Summation of importance of quote: Surprisingly, the tests are giving false results of what the students are learning due to teachers only teaching test curriculum and not other essential skills the students need like problem solving, and special classes like art. Unfortunately, the dropout rate is rising because students who do not do well on standardized tests feel like failures leading to them quitting school.

Evidence: Herbert Walberg, in Stop the War Against Standardized Tests states that, “research and experience show standardized tests are generally good at measuring students’ knowledge, skills, and understandings because they are objective, fair, efficient, and comprehensive.
For these reasons, they are used for decisions about admission to colleges, graduate programs, and professional schools as well as qualification and licensing for many skilled occupations and demanding professions such as law and medicine.”
Summation of importance of quote: Although advocates suggest that standardized tests are fair, and objective as a way to accurately assess schools, they fail to accurately discuss how students learn materials for the tests. Unfortunately schools have became accustomed to teaching to the multiple choice formatted tests. As a result students are not receiving a variety of learning techniques to learn materials. Really how can students gain the knowledge that they need when the test curriculum only caters to that one
format.

Conclusion: Many school districts place so much emphasis on testing that teachers are required to drill test curriculum leaving students to miss out on other important subjects and basic fundamentals in life.

Body Paragraph 2- One size fits all standard
Topic Sentence: Teachers are dedicated to help all students achieve to their fullest potential, however it becomes difficult when teachers are forced to teach with a one size fits all standard.
Evidence: In a 2011 national survey, two thirds of teachers said many academic subjects had been crowded out by an increased focus on math and language arts while decreasing requirements of art and music (The Testing Obsession).
Summation of importance of quote: The emphasis teachers have to put on math and language curriculum leaves them little time to teach other subjects that students enjoy. The school system is so test driven to achieve high scores that students are missing out on the joy and adventure of learning a variety of subjects they might enjoy. Teachers are forced to integrate special subjects with core subjects in order to cover specific guidelines in schools.

Evidence: According to Valerie Strauss, in The Washington Post concludes that, “the obsession with raising student standardized test scores is leading to a one size fits all curriculum that ignores the needs of individual students.
Summation of importance of quote: The one size fits all approach ignores individual needs of students by reducing differentiated instruction in the classroom. It limits teachers to what they teach and how to teach it. Each year teachers are faced with several different learners in the classroom, which require a broad range of strategies to teach students. The test curriculum standard does not reach every student therefore not allowing them to reach their fullest potential.

Evidence: Recently an article in ATPE discussed the issue, “The one size fits all model of standardized testing inaccurately measures all students on the same yardstick by assuming they are all on the same path to success” (Written Testimony).
Summation of importance of quote: The one size fits all standard is catered to middle and upper class students while excluding lower socioeconomic status, English as a second language, and disadvantaged students. These students are extremely smart, but how can they prove that when tests do not vary in content or expectations of students based on differing goals.

Conclusion: The curriculum is outlined to teach what is necessary to pass the test just as the teacher is not expected to teach beyond the test guidelines.

Body Paragraph 3- Stress caused by standardized tests
Topic Sentence: Teachers are under tremendous stress to maintain a high standard on standardized tests in turn placing high expectations on students.
Evidence: Based on the fair test article, standardized tests have become the single most important indicator of school performance. This has lead teachers feeling pressured to maintain or raise test scores therefore teachers and administrators have engaged in various kinds of cheating to boost scores.
Summation of importance of quote: The students themselves are getting cheated due to the teachers worrying about keeping their jobs and maintaining a high standard in schools. They are not receiving the teacher’s best interests academically as they are slaves to the test resulting in the students suffering.

Evidence: “Test related jitters, especially among young students; exams come with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in case a student vomits on it” (Written Testimony).
Summation of importance of quote: Standardized tests increase anxiety among students, resulting in an inaccurate measure of student performance. Many external factors can cause anxiety in students on test day. For instance the students have an unstable home, or a pet may have passed away.

Evidence: Strauss claims that, “Standardized tests are being used in high stakes ways to evaluate and punish teachers.” The Obama administration’s ‘Race to the Top’ initiative states “to use the student standardized test scores to evaluate teachers even though the exams were never intended for this purpose.”
Summation of importance of quote: How can a test know how effective a teacher is when it is given in one seating, once a year? A teacher needs to be evaluated on several factors like student engagement, reach every student through differentiated instruction, and overall success throughout the year. A test should not be the determining factor if a teacher needs to be punished.
Conclusion: Teachers and students are under tremendous stress due to the pressure of performing well on standardized tests. As a result teachers are resorting to cheating so they do not get punished for low scores.