Minimizing the Impact
One billion dollars. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the state would lose one billion dollars in federal funds if less than 95% of students participated in State assessments (Illinois General Assembly). This came up during the discussion of Bill HB-0306, also known as the opting out bill. From what I have gathered throughout my twelve years in school, standardized tests were made to narrow achievement gaps and help boosts test scores in the U.S. They are supposed to measure your intelligence and show teachers where your strongest and weakest areas are. This year, I was one of the few students who took the PARCC. When I got to the end of each session, I was not surprised to find that I had to write an …show more content…
And this act states that a school’s performance is determined by the student’s test scores (Hefling). Not only that, but once it was enacted, the number of test taken in some states rose from 6 to 17. Lets not forget about certain tests, like REACH, which evaluates teachers, and other tests like the NWEA, or MAP as some of you might know it, that determines a student’s ability to pass a grade level and as of now, it determines what high school they can attend. Each one of these tests impacts a student’s success in the future. I remember feeling so much stress and anxiety last year when I took the selective enrollment test, just as I had when I took the ISAT in 7th grade. Both were tests that would determine what high school I would attend. It was so bad, that when the results arrived, I went to the bathroom and cried because I thought I failed. So what does this say about our educational standards? And as reported by the Center for American Progress, students take an average of 10 to 20 tests annually. That leads to an average of 113 tests by the time they graduate high school. All of this makes it seem as if testing takes up such a large part of our lives. However, testing only takes up about 1.6% percent of the school year. That means that it is not the actual testing that places problems, but the preparation for the tests. Standardized tests are so important, that curriculums are changed in order for students to be well …show more content…
We can opt out of taking certain tests when it is allowed, such as PARCC. But most importantly, we can voice out our opinions to people: our parents, teachers, and even government officials with the power to make a difference. Without voicing out, states might lose federal funds due to not meeting the state requirement. High school and college enrollment might be more difficult for students, which makes testing detrimental to a student’s health and future. We can change the way things are now. In the next three years, we will take other tests which will lead us into college. We can brighten the future of those who will soon be where we are now and prevent other tests from inaccurately enslaving our
One billion dollars. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the state would lose one billion dollars in federal funds if less than 95% of students participated in State assessments (Illinois General Assembly). This came up during the discussion of Bill HB-0306, also known as the opting out bill. From what I have gathered throughout my twelve years in school, standardized tests were made to narrow achievement gaps and help boosts test scores in the U.S. They are supposed to measure your intelligence and show teachers where your strongest and weakest areas are. This year, I was one of the few students who took the PARCC. When I got to the end of each session, I was not surprised to find that I had to write an …show more content…
And this act states that a school’s performance is determined by the student’s test scores (Hefling). Not only that, but once it was enacted, the number of test taken in some states rose from 6 to 17. Lets not forget about certain tests, like REACH, which evaluates teachers, and other tests like the NWEA, or MAP as some of you might know it, that determines a student’s ability to pass a grade level and as of now, it determines what high school they can attend. Each one of these tests impacts a student’s success in the future. I remember feeling so much stress and anxiety last year when I took the selective enrollment test, just as I had when I took the ISAT in 7th grade. Both were tests that would determine what high school I would attend. It was so bad, that when the results arrived, I went to the bathroom and cried because I thought I failed. So what does this say about our educational standards? And as reported by the Center for American Progress, students take an average of 10 to 20 tests annually. That leads to an average of 113 tests by the time they graduate high school. All of this makes it seem as if testing takes up such a large part of our lives. However, testing only takes up about 1.6% percent of the school year. That means that it is not the actual testing that places problems, but the preparation for the tests. Standardized tests are so important, that curriculums are changed in order for students to be well …show more content…
We can opt out of taking certain tests when it is allowed, such as PARCC. But most importantly, we can voice out our opinions to people: our parents, teachers, and even government officials with the power to make a difference. Without voicing out, states might lose federal funds due to not meeting the state requirement. High school and college enrollment might be more difficult for students, which makes testing detrimental to a student’s health and future. We can change the way things are now. In the next three years, we will take other tests which will lead us into college. We can brighten the future of those who will soon be where we are now and prevent other tests from inaccurately enslaving our