Why Standardized Tests Are a False Interpretation of Who the Child Really Is
Becca Papineau
Amanda Hararch
English 102
Research Paper
15 April 2013
Standardized Testing: False Interpretation Do you hate staring at a computer/ piece of paper for more than two hours and answering questions? I am sure most people would answer “no”, and that is why standardized testing puts more harm than good in today’s world. Standardized testing causes a lot more problems than usual. It used to be a part of life, but now it’s causing kids not to go to college, and it’s causing kids to have a level of stress that shouldn’t even be allowed. People all over are stating that they give a false overview of who the student actually is, and in the end, these tests won’t get you anywhere in life. It’s important to many people including students who are taking the tests, teachers who are preparing the students for these tests, and of course the parents who have to deal with all the complaints from their child about these tests. This is a pretty important issue today, because so much is riding on these tests. If you do poorly you won’t get accepted to the university you want, or your teacher could get fired because of your performance. Although some people think standardized testing is just a part of life and it teaches students that it’s not okay to fail, these tests give a false interpretation of who the student actually is. One score does not tell you if that person is an outstanding individual or not. These scores might help you get into a better university, but when it comes to a career later on down the road, employers don’t look at what you got on your SAT, they look to see if you are best fit for the job, and whether you are a hard worker and would bring the company many positives, and I think colleges should focus on that same idea. When it comes to testing some students don’t test well. It’s as simple as that. Many students are affected by test anxiety or do not show their learning well on a standardized test, resulting in inaccurately lower
Amanda Hararch
English 102
Research Paper
15 April 2013
Standardized Testing: False Interpretation Do you hate staring at a computer/ piece of paper for more than two hours and answering questions? I am sure most people would answer “no”, and that is why standardized testing puts more harm than good in today’s world. Standardized testing causes a lot more problems than usual. It used to be a part of life, but now it’s causing kids not to go to college, and it’s causing kids to have a level of stress that shouldn’t even be allowed. People all over are stating that they give a false overview of who the student actually is, and in the end, these tests won’t get you anywhere in life. It’s important to many people including students who are taking the tests, teachers who are preparing the students for these tests, and of course the parents who have to deal with all the complaints from their child about these tests. This is a pretty important issue today, because so much is riding on these tests. If you do poorly you won’t get accepted to the university you want, or your teacher could get fired because of your performance. Although some people think standardized testing is just a part of life and it teaches students that it’s not okay to fail, these tests give a false interpretation of who the student actually is. One score does not tell you if that person is an outstanding individual or not. These scores might help you get into a better university, but when it comes to a career later on down the road, employers don’t look at what you got on your SAT, they look to see if you are best fit for the job, and whether you are a hard worker and would bring the company many positives, and I think colleges should focus on that same idea. When it comes to testing some students don’t test well. It’s as simple as that. Many students are affected by test anxiety or do not show their learning well on a standardized test, resulting in inaccurately lower
Cited: Anderson, Scarvia B., and John S. Helmick. On Educational Testing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1983. Print. Henry, Peter. "A Case Against Standardized Testing." Mcte.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2013. Kubiszyn, Tom, and Gary D. Borich. Educational Testing and Measurement: Classroom Application and Practice. New York: Wiley, 2000. Print. Lyman, Howard Burbeck. Test Scores and What They Mean. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963. Print. Rizzo, Monica E. "Redundancy, Discrimination, and Corruption in Standardized Testing." Ebsco (2012): 1-40. Print. Sacks, Peter. Standardized Minds: The High Price of America 's Testing Culture and What We Can Do to Change It. Cambridge, MA: Perseus, 1999. Print. Soares, Joseph A. "SAT Wars: The Case for Test-Optional College Admissions." Teachers College Press (2011): 1-240. Print. Thomas, Jacqueline R. "Achievement Gaps Linger between Students from Low-income Families and Their Peers." The Connecticut Mirror. N.p., 19 July 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.