Truthfully, the effects of high-stakes testing may be evident in the morale of teachers and schools, but the evidence of this testing is most evident in the students the testing was designed to help? Has Texas seen an increase in student achievement in all areas, not just state mandated testing? In 2002, President George Bush, speaking in Hamilton High School, Hamilton, Ohio, made the following statement in regards to NCLB legislation passed months earlier. “We 've got large challenges here in America. There 's no greater challenge than to make sure that every child - and all of us on this stage mean every child, not just a few children -every single child, regardless of where they live, how they 're raised, the income level of their
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The fact that students’ achievement on tests such as SAT has stagnated is of no amazement to those most familiar with the testing environment. Students, often able to answer short multiple choice answers or write limited passages, therefor leading to success on state mandated exams are unable to answer complicated math problems, compose lengthier research driven papers necessary for college entrance and college preparedness. (Amrein & Berliner, 2002). Another issue arising for students developing educationally in a high-stakes testing environment is the overwhelming consensus of the failures associated with the testing in meeting the needs of the economically disadvantaged and the students with special needs. As high-stakes testing moved into the norm for Texas and the U.S, supporters were adamant that this testing would provide new opportunities for those students in the highest risk of failure. This new level of accountability would help struggling schools better meet the needs of their students (Tim Walker, 2014). Instead, the reverse has proved true. Even before NCLB legislation, nationally, as high school students were required to pass an exam for graduation, the retention rates for minority and economically disadvantaged students began to …show more content…
AS a result of efforts made for years in the state, the entire country has been led down a path of accountability tied to federal funding. This environment has been touted as being challenging to students and necessary to meet the needs of an ever changing diverse population in the state. However, as it has been concluded in this report, there are many disparities in today’s high-pressure, high-stakes educational environment. The students have experienced their education in an environment often devoid of enticing curriculum, interesting electives, and opportunities for personal growth. Recently, there has been a rumbling from communities to pursue an educational system built around the needs of that district, often leading to exciting new developments in the arts, science and technology, as evidenced by the recent STEM movement (Tim Walker, 2014). Texas students deserve to experience an educational system rich in opportunities for growth and development and appropriate for the needs of our society. High-stakes testing is here to stay and will continue to have a prominent place in the classrooms of Texas. However, with recent developments, it seems as though Texas students will be afforded many opportunities for success, success that is measured in intellectual abilities and growth, and not just the ability to completely fill in a bubble on a standardized test in order to ensure graduation from high
The fact that students’ achievement on tests such as SAT has stagnated is of no amazement to those most familiar with the testing environment. Students, often able to answer short multiple choice answers or write limited passages, therefor leading to success on state mandated exams are unable to answer complicated math problems, compose lengthier research driven papers necessary for college entrance and college preparedness. (Amrein & Berliner, 2002). Another issue arising for students developing educationally in a high-stakes testing environment is the overwhelming consensus of the failures associated with the testing in meeting the needs of the economically disadvantaged and the students with special needs. As high-stakes testing moved into the norm for Texas and the U.S, supporters were adamant that this testing would provide new opportunities for those students in the highest risk of failure. This new level of accountability would help struggling schools better meet the needs of their students (Tim Walker, 2014). Instead, the reverse has proved true. Even before NCLB legislation, nationally, as high school students were required to pass an exam for graduation, the retention rates for minority and economically disadvantaged students began to …show more content…
AS a result of efforts made for years in the state, the entire country has been led down a path of accountability tied to federal funding. This environment has been touted as being challenging to students and necessary to meet the needs of an ever changing diverse population in the state. However, as it has been concluded in this report, there are many disparities in today’s high-pressure, high-stakes educational environment. The students have experienced their education in an environment often devoid of enticing curriculum, interesting electives, and opportunities for personal growth. Recently, there has been a rumbling from communities to pursue an educational system built around the needs of that district, often leading to exciting new developments in the arts, science and technology, as evidenced by the recent STEM movement (Tim Walker, 2014). Texas students deserve to experience an educational system rich in opportunities for growth and development and appropriate for the needs of our society. High-stakes testing is here to stay and will continue to have a prominent place in the classrooms of Texas. However, with recent developments, it seems as though Texas students will be afforded many opportunities for success, success that is measured in intellectual abilities and growth, and not just the ability to completely fill in a bubble on a standardized test in order to ensure graduation from high