Argument Against Standardized Testing Research

Standardized tests have become a recent controversial topic across the nation. Americans strive for a great education system, but fail to realize that testing is the main issue. They are believed to be a simple way to evaluate students from all different areas. However, there are countless faults that cannot show truly show students’ ability. Standardized tests in the United States do not accurately measure intelligence and should be modified to prevent issues in academics. Modern testing began when George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001. This act requires the states to administer math and reading tests annually for students in grades 3 through 8 (The Case Against Standardized Testing). NCLB also imposes harsh punishments on schools who fail to make yearly progress. It states that 100% of schools nationwide much achieve proficiency in the state reading and math tests by 2014 (Mooney 37). Of course, this is a highly unrealistic expectation. By 2011, only half of all schools across the United States met adequate yearly progress. The schools who failed lost state/federal funding (Mooney 34). Essentially, NCLB did not make improvements to the education system in America. In fact, after the act was passed, the United States went from ranked 18th in the world in math to 31st
It is considered one of the most reliable methods of testing. This is because it is administered across the United States and students from different states, schools, races, and family backgrounds can be compared and see how it ties into college preparedness (Mooney 62). While this is true, there is lots of bias in the SAT. It is mostly directed toward upper class white students. The verbal section is in favor of whites by using language they are more familiar with (Mooney 64). A study found that black students scored an average of 100 points less, even though they were at the same academic level