The Use Of Standardized Testing In Education

Education systems are continuing to place more emphasis on standardized testing and in fact, these tests are becoming so popular that school systems are starting to implement them earlier on in education. Even though these tests are supposedly designed to be a fair way to measure an individual’s performance and skills in certain content areas, standardized testing continues to spark major controversy (Addison & McGee, 2015). According to the Columbia University Office of Work/Life, the formal definition of a standardized test is an administered examination with consistent questions that are used to examine current content areas as well as future content areas (2013). Standardized tests are specifically constructed according to a set of established standards which supposedly provide each individual with an equal opportunity. However, “the ubiquitous use of standardized test results to make varied judgments about educators, students, and schools within the public school system raises concerns of validity” (Tienken, 2015).
Standardized tests are used all throughout the country and as previously mentioned, these tests are recently becoming more popular in the education of younger children. In fact, “a child entering prekindergarten today will take, on average, …show more content…
On the other hand, many people feel as if standardized tests provide an individual with a secure baseline evaluation which can be used for educational purposes. The topic of standardized testing continues to create major controversy and there are many clashing opinions about these tests. This paper explores both the advantages and disadvantages that standardized testing has to offer. Overall, I believe that standardized testing has a negative impact on