Standardized Testing Argumentative Analysis

Standardized testing in our education system is oftentimes frowned upon. Though some disagree with standardized testing, others see it as an advantage to education in the future. I recently reviewed two articles with opposing opinions on this controversial topic. I noticed that one article worried more about how they felt emotionally, and less focused on the academic advantages or disadvantages. This is an issue in America, I believe when it comes to education we should worry about educational outcomes and not emotional distress due to the criteria in which you are required to abide by. The first article I reviewed was, “Producing Commodities or Educating Children? Nurturing the Personal Growth of Students in the Face of Standardized Testing” by Julia Barrier-Ferreira. This article begins with her talking about the announcement of the standardized testing right before Christmas break. She refers to the principal as a heartless individual, like the Grinch. I believe this is her focusing more on how she disagrees with it because of how “mean” it is, and being oblivious to the possible advantages it can produce. The argument is that the problem arises when the assessments are used as the sole indicators of schools successes and failures.
Unlike the first article, the second article, “Arizona Parents Like Schools, Support Standardized Tests” from Professional Development Collection, is supportive of standardized tests.
This article is very short and to the point. Arizona Parents believe that inadequate funding is the biggest challenge facing the states k-12 education system. Seventy percent of the parents surveyed in March for the study by researchers at Arizona State University said they agree with using standardized-test scores to rank academic performance. In addition 58 percent agreed that students should be required to pass the states standardized test to earn a high school
diploma. Based on my previous two paragraphs, the first article was against standardized testing, and the second article is supportive of standardized testing. The second article explains logical reasons for their approval. They use supporting details such as why it works, and what they should change other than standardized testing. The first paragraph on the other hand was a very accurate representation of America today. Many people are more worried about their emotional wellbeing than their strive for academic success. This is allowing kids to control their education, rather than the trained professionals that came up with these tests. As you can tell in my writings, I am supportive of standardized testing. I believe without guidelines and a standard that education systems would crumble. We need some kind of criteria to abide by in order to be consistent and fair. By giving stipulations, and allowing the student and parents to control how they learn, we are giving them a mindset that they only have to do what works for them, instead of following guidelines, taking their standardized tests, and succeeding as academic professionals have planned for them.