Standardized Testing

Alternatives to Standardized Testing
Standardized testing has a detrimental and counterproductive effect on kids in the traditional education setting. It objectifies kids and ranks them according to an arbitrary scale that is not customized to fit individual students and their disparities in learning styles. There is significant evidence and numerous studies that show standardized testing's negative effects on grade school level students. Other methods should be investigated and pursued instead of proctoring standardized tests to ensure that students are being educated to their full potential. Several methods can be put in place to replace standardized testing including stealth assessment, a sampling test method, or written performance descriptions,
This involves collecting data and statistical test results throughout the course, versus administering a test at the end or the midpoint of a course. This method is especially effective when paired with online activities like quizzes and workshops. The results of every online activity will be recorded and analyzed over the course of the semester. This gives educators a look at not only final mastery of material, but how quickly it is mastered and which areas children struggle with the most during the learning process. Data will be collected in the background as the "stealth" indicates, but the same results will be available just as they would from a typical exam, and we will learn a great deal more about the process of learning. This method effectively eliminates test anxiety and removes the paranoia associated with the "test day"
It involves the instructor creating a formal, written assessment for each individual student at regular intervals throughout the course of the semester. Instructors would be given training through the school on how to properly and impartially prepare these written assessments of each child. This solution provides an accurate assessment of students performance in the classroom on a completely individualized basis. These assessments can take into account circumstances that a rigid standardized test simply cannot. These assessments can tell parents and other educators exactly how well each child is performing, and identify exactly what areas are the most challenging for that student. The curriculum or teaching style can then be tweaked and adjusted for each individual student to ensure that they are mastering the material in a thorough, as well as time efficient