Standardized Testing: Life Isn T Multiple Choice
Life Isn’t Multiple Choice
Were you ever forced into taking a standardized test? If so, you are aware of all the test preparation you have to go through and all of the pressure you feel. “Standardized tests are tests in which all the questions, format, instructions, scoring and reporting of scores are the same for all test takers,” (Standardized Tests: Terms and Definitions, 1). There is a lot of controversy and questions being asked pertaining to the tests because many teachers, students, and parents believe it is unfair and biased. These tests are a terrible way to evaluate schools and don’t accurately represent how much a student knows. But the real question is, are standardized tests helping or hurting students? Standardized tests are hurting students because there is not enough emphasis on creativity, causes stress, and teaches children to take tests rather than learn knowledge.
Teachers and students are too busy obsessing over the high-stakes tests that they forget about creativity and thinking for yourself …show more content…
Aaron Churchill of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute claims, “Outside of standardized test results, no objective method exists for policymakers to identify either poor-performing schools needing intervention or high-performing schools deserving rewards,” (1). Critics have a valid point, considering standardized tests are the only current initiative towards finding out how well a school is doing as a whole. However, what opponents do not take into account is all of the factors that affect how a student handles, takes, and scores on these exams. A few of these factors include, but are not limited to, family, location, ethnicity, and mental disabilities. The tests in current times seem to be more about the scores and less about individual
Were you ever forced into taking a standardized test? If so, you are aware of all the test preparation you have to go through and all of the pressure you feel. “Standardized tests are tests in which all the questions, format, instructions, scoring and reporting of scores are the same for all test takers,” (Standardized Tests: Terms and Definitions, 1). There is a lot of controversy and questions being asked pertaining to the tests because many teachers, students, and parents believe it is unfair and biased. These tests are a terrible way to evaluate schools and don’t accurately represent how much a student knows. But the real question is, are standardized tests helping or hurting students? Standardized tests are hurting students because there is not enough emphasis on creativity, causes stress, and teaches children to take tests rather than learn knowledge.
Teachers and students are too busy obsessing over the high-stakes tests that they forget about creativity and thinking for yourself …show more content…
Aaron Churchill of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute claims, “Outside of standardized test results, no objective method exists for policymakers to identify either poor-performing schools needing intervention or high-performing schools deserving rewards,” (1). Critics have a valid point, considering standardized tests are the only current initiative towards finding out how well a school is doing as a whole. However, what opponents do not take into account is all of the factors that affect how a student handles, takes, and scores on these exams. A few of these factors include, but are not limited to, family, location, ethnicity, and mental disabilities. The tests in current times seem to be more about the scores and less about individual