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High Stakes Testing Research Paper

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Should High Stakes Tests Be a Requirement to Graduate?
Most students don’t really want to take state tests, but they have no choice. These tests, such as AIR, determine if students graduate. While what will determine if a kid graduates is the big question mostly asked, the tests determine if kids graduate because there is not enough time in the school year to teach all of the curriculum, it is not helping the kids with learning disabilities, and the tests do not line up with the standards. I believe that’s not fair for all of the kids who actually do really bad on test but may be an all around good kid. Freshmen year I did not try and i’m guessing others didn’t try either. Plus, standardized tests don’t help the kids with a slower learning disability or a kid who doesn’t understand how
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On top of it being the end of year, students have to worry about grades, learning information for state tests, and extra curricular activities. They deal with a lot of stress that leaves to anxiety. In most occasions kids are diagnosed with ADHD or some other type of learning disorder, when some may just be lazy or don’t want to do the work. “Pittsburgh students now take 20-25, or more, high-stakes tests a year, with new tests this year in art and music” (Strauss).
One might argue that physicians, lawyers, real-estate brokers and pilots all take high stakes standardized tests to ensure they have the necessary knowledge for their job. Kids obsess with passing their test so much that they can’t focus on being a kid. When students get these test back and compare scores with others some might feel worthless and, it separates the smart kids from the ones who scores lower. “Schools selects NWEA as its testing vendor and reports an 80 percent proficiency rate. Now let’s say Worthington City Schools suburban Columbus selects PARCC and reports a 50 percent proficiency rate”


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