In this time of the 21st century, standardized testing has increased dramatically within the United States. Standardized tests is any examination that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. These tests were originally created to measure a student's college readiness and future academic success however, studies have proved that standardized tests do not measure a student’s factual knowledge. There are two common types of standardized tests,the first being an achievement test, which is used to evaluate a school’s effectiveness. The second type of standardized testing is a is an aptitude test, such as the SAT and ACT, which is used to measure a person’s ability to acquire, through future training. The increased use of standardized testing began during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s term in his effort on war against poverty which led to the creation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).
The goal of this law was to improve educational standards from lower-income families by providing federal funds to school districts …show more content…
This was harshly due to the use and evaluation of a school based on their test scores. As Popham stated, many teachers are inclined to teach their students to the test and base their whole curriculum around it. The students may excel in the knowledge needed on the test but will not have the necessary skills to apply them to real life situations. The idea of “one size fits all” does not apply for every school or student when it comes to taking standardized tests. The sudden implication of heavy amounts of standardized testing produces large amount of stress on students. The creative teaching and learning in schools are replaced by rigorous test prepping that leads to students losing interest in that particular