Standardized Testing In The Education System

Standardized testing in K-12 grades have always been existent in the education system since the mid-1800s, but recently these examinations have gotten considerably more dependent on pass or fail rather than reviewing how effectively educational material is being taught and how effectively the students are learning the material. The spotlight has been placed on these standardized tests and both sides have viewpoints to be considered. But, the biggest point to consider is how the students are benefiting from these assessments. Standardized assessments are a roadblock for students when they are learning educational material. They are put in a cycle of learning information and are tested on it through many in-class assessments given by the educational …show more content…
Standardized assessments have been existent in the education system since the 1800s, but have recently become more significant due to the No Child Left Behind Act signed by President Bush in 2002. (Hout and Elliott) This act made annual standardized testing in all fifty states mandatory. It is believed that this act caused the educational system to become flawed. (Hout and Elliott) It caused students in the United States to fall from 18th place in math in the 2000s to a surprising 31st place in 2009. The results were comparable for science scores, but no change in English scores. (Hout and Elliott) “Failures in the education system have been blamed on rising poverty levels, teacher quality, tenure policies, and increasingly on the pervasive use of standardized tests” (Hout and Elliott). This is where standardized testing takes a toll on the education system and its effects are negatively impacting the educational …show more content…
In order to get a successful education, it’s crucial that proper educational tactics are used in the classroom, such as how the teachers teach, in order for students to learn what they need to know to advance into the workforce and the real world. Seems straightforward enough, students learn educational material and demonstrate their knowledge about the material for a beneficial learning retention. An author of an Educational Leadership article, James Popham, explains how a school’s educational effectiveness is judged unfairly. “These days, if a school 's standardized test scores are high, people think the school 's staff is effective. If a school 's standardized test scores are low, they see the school 's staff as ineffective. In either case, because educational quality is being measured by the wrong yardstick, those evaluations are apt to be in error” (Popham, James). The idea of standardized test scores determining a school’s educational efficiency is alarming. This idea begs the question, Are schools focusing more on making sure students learn educational subjects for the real world or making sure that they are prepared to pass a standardized test? The focus of standardized assessments in the classroom seems to be on preparing the students for these types of immense assessments. “Standardized testing causes many teachers to only ‘teach to the tests’. This practice can hinder a student’s overall learning