Every Child Left Behind
Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was approved, mandating annual testing in all 50 states. Since then, the use of standardized tests skyrocketed in American elementary and secondary schools. The NCLB has received a substantial amount of critics since its enactment, only increasing over time. The main criticism against the act is that it forces education to take the shape of an annual test, rather than focus on genuine education. Nationwide standardized testing limits education in respects to teaching method, narrowed curriculum, and consideration of circumstance. Ever since the NCLB Act passed, American teachers began to change …show more content…
In most schools the only curriculum that matters now is that which standardized testing measures, all others pale in comparison. Subjects such as history, art, civics, music, and physical education, no longer concern most educators, as they are not measured by annual testing. The overemphasis on testing has led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that provide students with an opportunity to be creative and imaginative, and scripted curriculum has become the norm in many classrooms (3). A national 2007 study by the Center on Education Policy reported that since 2001, 44% of school districts had reduced the time spent on science, social studies and the arts by an average of 145 minutes per week in order to focus on reading and math (4). So, rather than expanding the curriculum for students, standardized testing constrains their education, causing a permanent gap in curriculum as student’s continue through the public school …show more content…
However, the playing field is far from even, as previously explained. Students of varying circumstances are required to take the same test, meaning a special needs or non English speaker would take the same test as an average child. This is not “fair” to say the least, but is actually negligence on the part of the government and educators. Another common argument made is that standardized yearly testing gives teachers guidance on student learning and their own teaching practices (C). Although, this statement is true, it only furthers the negative aspect of standardized testing. It is precisely because teachers base their lessons and methods on standardized tests, that student’s are made to suffer through stifled creativity and narrowed curriculum. Thus, the arguments made for standardized testing are only written skin-deep, they do not take the opportunity to analyze the context within and therefore weaken the
Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. In 2001 the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was approved, mandating annual testing in all 50 states. Since then, the use of standardized tests skyrocketed in American elementary and secondary schools. The NCLB has received a substantial amount of critics since its enactment, only increasing over time. The main criticism against the act is that it forces education to take the shape of an annual test, rather than focus on genuine education. Nationwide standardized testing limits education in respects to teaching method, narrowed curriculum, and consideration of circumstance. Ever since the NCLB Act passed, American teachers began to change …show more content…
In most schools the only curriculum that matters now is that which standardized testing measures, all others pale in comparison. Subjects such as history, art, civics, music, and physical education, no longer concern most educators, as they are not measured by annual testing. The overemphasis on testing has led many teachers to eliminate projects and activities that provide students with an opportunity to be creative and imaginative, and scripted curriculum has become the norm in many classrooms (3). A national 2007 study by the Center on Education Policy reported that since 2001, 44% of school districts had reduced the time spent on science, social studies and the arts by an average of 145 minutes per week in order to focus on reading and math (4). So, rather than expanding the curriculum for students, standardized testing constrains their education, causing a permanent gap in curriculum as student’s continue through the public school …show more content…
However, the playing field is far from even, as previously explained. Students of varying circumstances are required to take the same test, meaning a special needs or non English speaker would take the same test as an average child. This is not “fair” to say the least, but is actually negligence on the part of the government and educators. Another common argument made is that standardized yearly testing gives teachers guidance on student learning and their own teaching practices (C). Although, this statement is true, it only furthers the negative aspect of standardized testing. It is precisely because teachers base their lessons and methods on standardized tests, that student’s are made to suffer through stifled creativity and narrowed curriculum. Thus, the arguments made for standardized testing are only written skin-deep, they do not take the opportunity to analyze the context within and therefore weaken the