Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing
Standardize no more
Standardized testing is currently required for almost all colleges in the around the United States. It’s been this way as early as the mid 1800’s, but it has recently become a big controversy among colleges. Colleges should not require students to take standardized test in order to be admitted.
Standardized test put so much added stress on teens. Teens have so much on their plates as it is with all the extra-curricular activities needed to make a noble college resume. Teen stress levels, depression and suicide rates are at an all-time high. In fact, about one in five high school students can be classified with clinical depression. High school, to most students is no longer considered “the time of their lives.” Students …show more content…
are being forced to think about their futures at such an early age. From the time children can talk adults as “What do you want to be when you grow up?” There is so much pressure put on students to be successful and get a good job, but in order to do these things you must get into a good college. Students have so much pressure already with trying to keeping up a good GPA and all of that hard work could mean very little if they do not do well on a standardized test like the ACT or SAT. Standardized test are such a large part of the application process of getting into college.
I understand that as a college you need some way to determine who should and shouldn’t get into your school, but aren’t four years of high school enough?
Why should one test be equally as valuable as ones overall GPA? Standardized testing does not determine ones knowledge, understanding, accomplishments, or worth ethics. It only measures a small amount of information learned being taught in high school. How would you feel if you worked hard to maintain a good GPA all four year of high school and then made a not so good score on a college placement test? Living proof of this testimony is John Doe, a straight A student since the first grade, but when John took the SAT he scored barely above average. On the science portion of the ACT it determines nothing about how much science you’ve learned. All the information you need to know is found within the content of the page. What it really is testing you on is how well you read a graph or a testimony of a scientist. Similar to this, the reading portion on the ACT it asks you to read a paragraph and answer questions about the section. All it tests on is your reading comprehension. Never once does it ask you to form your own thoughts or higher levels of thinking. Never does it ask what you thought of the ending of the The Great Gatsby, your views on the hero in Catcher in the Rye. These standardized tests measuring very little of what is being taught in the class
room.
Not only is standardized testing a burden to students taking it, but it’s also a burden on the state. Standardized testing is expensive. In 2008, state spending on standardized testing was at almost 1.1 billion dollars a year. Not only is it expensive on a national level, but most it is expensive for students. Most students had to take the test multiple times before getting the score they are satisfied with. With the general cost of the test being about 50 dollars each time it’s taken, those 50 dollars soon adds up to 100’s of dollars. Not to mention that many students pay for a private tutor or order test preparation books that cost about 60 dollars. To people with less money, taking the standardized test can be a disadvantage because may not have all the tools needed to be successful.
These are just a few reasons as a college you should not require students to submit an ACT or SAT score when applying. Kids should be able to be kids, and not be faced with so much pressure of standardized testing on top of trying to make good grades. One’s GPA and resume should be enough to determine who should and should not be admitted, without requiring an ACT or SAT score.
Works Cited Bachelors Degree Online. BachelorsDegreeOnline, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. . ProCon. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. . VERIT AS PREP. Veritas, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. .
Standardized testing is currently required for almost all colleges in the around the United States. It’s been this way as early as the mid 1800’s, but it has recently become a big controversy among colleges. Colleges should not require students to take standardized test in order to be admitted.
Standardized test put so much added stress on teens. Teens have so much on their plates as it is with all the extra-curricular activities needed to make a noble college resume. Teen stress levels, depression and suicide rates are at an all-time high. In fact, about one in five high school students can be classified with clinical depression. High school, to most students is no longer considered “the time of their lives.” Students …show more content…
are being forced to think about their futures at such an early age. From the time children can talk adults as “What do you want to be when you grow up?” There is so much pressure put on students to be successful and get a good job, but in order to do these things you must get into a good college. Students have so much pressure already with trying to keeping up a good GPA and all of that hard work could mean very little if they do not do well on a standardized test like the ACT or SAT. Standardized test are such a large part of the application process of getting into college.
I understand that as a college you need some way to determine who should and shouldn’t get into your school, but aren’t four years of high school enough?
Why should one test be equally as valuable as ones overall GPA? Standardized testing does not determine ones knowledge, understanding, accomplishments, or worth ethics. It only measures a small amount of information learned being taught in high school. How would you feel if you worked hard to maintain a good GPA all four year of high school and then made a not so good score on a college placement test? Living proof of this testimony is John Doe, a straight A student since the first grade, but when John took the SAT he scored barely above average. On the science portion of the ACT it determines nothing about how much science you’ve learned. All the information you need to know is found within the content of the page. What it really is testing you on is how well you read a graph or a testimony of a scientist. Similar to this, the reading portion on the ACT it asks you to read a paragraph and answer questions about the section. All it tests on is your reading comprehension. Never once does it ask you to form your own thoughts or higher levels of thinking. Never does it ask what you thought of the ending of the The Great Gatsby, your views on the hero in Catcher in the Rye. These standardized tests measuring very little of what is being taught in the class
room.
Not only is standardized testing a burden to students taking it, but it’s also a burden on the state. Standardized testing is expensive. In 2008, state spending on standardized testing was at almost 1.1 billion dollars a year. Not only is it expensive on a national level, but most it is expensive for students. Most students had to take the test multiple times before getting the score they are satisfied with. With the general cost of the test being about 50 dollars each time it’s taken, those 50 dollars soon adds up to 100’s of dollars. Not to mention that many students pay for a private tutor or order test preparation books that cost about 60 dollars. To people with less money, taking the standardized test can be a disadvantage because may not have all the tools needed to be successful.
These are just a few reasons as a college you should not require students to submit an ACT or SAT score when applying. Kids should be able to be kids, and not be faced with so much pressure of standardized testing on top of trying to make good grades. One’s GPA and resume should be enough to determine who should and should not be admitted, without requiring an ACT or SAT score.
Works Cited Bachelors Degree Online. BachelorsDegreeOnline, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. . ProCon. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. . VERIT AS PREP. Veritas, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. .