Standardized Testing in Schools
Standardized testing has been an inevitable part of life for countless Americans, making them question the validity of their life choices since the third grade. When taking standardized tests, one encounters some obvious drawbacks. Any student who has been forced to take one of the hundreds that exist can recount the tales of stress and feelings of inadequacy that linger after every test taken. Standardized testing does not benefit students because it objectifies certain race/ethnic groups, it doesn’t measure the test taker’s mental capacity or progress, and it is not worth the unnecessary problems for students.
Initially, when anyone thinks about standardized testing they never think that it can be biased. …show more content…
In an article titled “New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT,” it states that “The existence of racial patterns on SAT scores is hardly new. The average score on the reading part of the SAT was 429 for black students last year—99 points behind the average for white students. And while white students' scores were flat, the average score for black students fell by one” (Bryfonski, 2010). The evidence used in the article is proof of how standardized testing is biased with racial/ethnic groups.The College Board will continue to say that they check for bias on the test but it is not about bias on test it is about how students prepare for the test. An article titled “The SAT Is Not Racially Biased” it states “The truth is, every SAT question is exhaustively pre-tested and carefully analyzed for any bias” (LeBon, 2011). If some students do not possess the same opportunities as others, then they cannot reap the benefits that their affluent counterparts do.
Furthermore, standardized testing cannot assess with accuracy the mental fortitude of the wide population taking it. Students are never given the precise information needed to progress from tests they have taken. They are simply given information such …show more content…
The article titled “New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT”they stated “The confirmation of unfair test results throws into question the validity of the test and, consequently, all decisions based on its results” (Jaschik, 2010). If students are still not reaching the levels of achievement that we envision, there is no purpose in continuing to place extraneous stress on them. An article titled “Standardized Tests Effectively Measure Student Achievement” states “Another complaint against standardized tests is that they cause stress among educators and students. But the world outside of school is demanding” (Walberg, 2011). The outside world is demanding and school is supposed to prepare students for it, not for a test that causes problems that were never known in the first place such as testing anxiety and stress. Overall the demanding world doesn’t require as much as schools
Standardized testing has been an inevitable part of life for countless Americans, making them question the validity of their life choices since the third grade. When taking standardized tests, one encounters some obvious drawbacks. Any student who has been forced to take one of the hundreds that exist can recount the tales of stress and feelings of inadequacy that linger after every test taken. Standardized testing does not benefit students because it objectifies certain race/ethnic groups, it doesn’t measure the test taker’s mental capacity or progress, and it is not worth the unnecessary problems for students.
Initially, when anyone thinks about standardized testing they never think that it can be biased. …show more content…
In an article titled “New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT,” it states that “The existence of racial patterns on SAT scores is hardly new. The average score on the reading part of the SAT was 429 for black students last year—99 points behind the average for white students. And while white students' scores were flat, the average score for black students fell by one” (Bryfonski, 2010). The evidence used in the article is proof of how standardized testing is biased with racial/ethnic groups.The College Board will continue to say that they check for bias on the test but it is not about bias on test it is about how students prepare for the test. An article titled “The SAT Is Not Racially Biased” it states “The truth is, every SAT question is exhaustively pre-tested and carefully analyzed for any bias” (LeBon, 2011). If some students do not possess the same opportunities as others, then they cannot reap the benefits that their affluent counterparts do.
Furthermore, standardized testing cannot assess with accuracy the mental fortitude of the wide population taking it. Students are never given the precise information needed to progress from tests they have taken. They are simply given information such …show more content…
The article titled “New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT”they stated “The confirmation of unfair test results throws into question the validity of the test and, consequently, all decisions based on its results” (Jaschik, 2010). If students are still not reaching the levels of achievement that we envision, there is no purpose in continuing to place extraneous stress on them. An article titled “Standardized Tests Effectively Measure Student Achievement” states “Another complaint against standardized tests is that they cause stress among educators and students. But the world outside of school is demanding” (Walberg, 2011). The outside world is demanding and school is supposed to prepare students for it, not for a test that causes problems that were never known in the first place such as testing anxiety and stress. Overall the demanding world doesn’t require as much as schools