Is Standardized Testing Necessary

Can a man’s whole intelligence be judged upon a single test taken in a single hour on a single day? SATs, ACTs, ISTEP, NAPLAN, and so much more varieties of standardized tests are answering affirmatively to what the questions has asked. These days schools are using this method to measure one's brilliance. Although standardized tests show the fundamental, basic knowledge of students, they are not necessary because they do not go indepth into a student’s knowledge and using those scores to decide their future is not reasonable.
Standardized tests are put on high pedestals and people say they deserve to be held on high because they have lasted for very long and have proved to be good uses. However only a small portion of what is learned is recorded
on those tests and do not show the students’ full knowledge. Gerald W. Bracey, an education policy researcher, says that those tests cannot measure important topics such as creativity, critical thinking, persistence, curiosity, endurance, and other important aspects of the human mind (“Standardized Tests…”). The world has evolved into a place where critical thinking and creativity are more important than tests results from a multiple answer test, therefore standardized tests are not necessary and teachers can be trusted with providing important information about a student's education. However, teachers are like everybody else; they are humans. They can be biased and standardized tests are said to be more objective on student achievement (“Standardized Tests…”). However, is it fair to say that those teachers cannot be trusted? Fairness is key to those teachers, but the same cannot be said for the students.
The world is becoming increasingly diverse and open to all races, genders, and people with special needs.
In the land of education however, the same cannot be said. Standardized tests are discriminatory against non-native speakers and students with special needs. Special needs students and foreign students are expected to take the same tests as normal, native students. While standardized tests are one the biggest deciding factors for education, non-native students have to take them when they have yet to master the language. Those kids are already left behind in the school system while they cannot read or write in english well and even their own language fluently (Morner-Ritt). Experts say that they have to ensure the content is equal for all students, so if alternate tests or exempting people from taking the test kinds of methods are used, then it is unfair for all students (“Standardized Tests…”). They also say that it helps to see how the races can be compared and what they need help on (Morner-Ritt). An article said that the administrators do not have sufficient plans to help the students besides separating them from the other students (Goodale). Also, creating a test that is meant for fluent students and giving them to people that can barely read them is already not fair itself. Standardized tests are very baseless, because they neglect the other factors to testing teenagers of all different backgrounds and
minds.
The NAEP ensures everyone that each state’s assessments are equally challenging and that the scores they provide are valid (“Standardized Tests…”).
They focus on the basic skills that all students need to master in order to go on with education. It’s understandable to trust the experts on the every topic of education. In reality though, systems can be flawed. The standardized tests do not have a good base and a are waste of time as they take away from instruction time and other fundamental issues. All states use different kinds of systems to grade the tests so there is no really good use for comparisons. Like schools having a student that can get an A in one class and that same student can get a B in another class that teaches the exact same thing, is the same for another state may use a different way to think about things (Jouriles). Also, Kyung-Hee Kim says that if creative students are neglected because of the structure and testing, then they become under achievers (“Standardized Tests…”). Einstein once said that, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, then it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” No one in the world is exactly the same as another so judging a person’s intelligence on a test is a flaw itself, while wasting the time for others. Instruction time has been taken over by test taking and preparation. Alter New York City’s said that reading and math scores decreased in 2010 when imposing extra measures to prep
for tests (“Standardized Tests…”). In Sep 11, 2002, students were prevented from discussing the anniversary of the terrorist attack because they were too busy studying for the test (“Standardized Tests…”). More trivial matters were ignored because of those standardized tests. Finland, one of the most top education ranked country in the world, has yet to even introduce the use of standardized tests to their schools (Hancock). Focusing of a child’s future is more important than basing that future off of a sheet of thin paper.
The necessities of standardized tests are being overrated when only measure a limited amount of knowledge that students have, and their scores are telling colleges that that is all the students can bring. Standardized tests are not necessary for there are other ways to calculate a man’s intelligence. From the countries, cities, schools, and cities, everyone is different. Measuring knowledge from standardized tests will never be able to show one's full potential.