Argumentative Essay: Should Schools Do Standardized Testing?

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Should schools do standardized testing?

The American education system is a rigid and regulated structure that continues to change to meet the demands of the educators. Standardized tests, assessments given to students who are to answer the same questions or range of questions and that are graded in the same form, are a way the test-developers believe will be beneficial for the students and public schools around the United States, but unfortunately this assumption is wrong. With new manners of teaching, students as well as teachers are becoming stressed and are having anxiety as well as other health effects from the overbearing amount of regulated tests. The U.S. government should, thus limit the amount of standardized test to protect the
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Sean Mulvenon, a professor and researcher worked with Dr. Denise Lenares and Dr. Joanie V. Connors to study and research “Is there evidence of Anxiety?”. This group of researchers worked with ERIC, Education Resources Information Center to develop their study. What they discovered was that, students in high school are more likely to be affected by stress. Dr. Mulvenon said “ a large number of students, especially low achievers, become anxious about the test, cheat, try halfheartedly or use poor testing strategies” (Mulvenon). Another person named Susan Ohanian a long time school teacher and freelance writer spoke out and said “ Test- related jitters, especially among young students, are so common that the Stanford-9 exam comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in case a student vomits on it” (Ohanian). With these kinds of comments and observations many people argue that standardized test are not accurate ways to see if a student comprehends the material because some students cheat or guess (Kortez). Guessing on tests is taught by teachers, it is a method that comes in handy to students when they are stuck on any questions. By guessing on a test it proves that it is not an accurate way to test for skills because it could have been a lucky guess or if a student cheated it would mean the same thing as well, it would not prove that the student understands the

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