Should Standardized Testing Be Abolished Essay

There have been debates across the nation as to whether or not standardized testing should be abolished. Standardized testing is used to not only guide the teacher through their curricular content, but also used to determine whether a student will proceed to the next grade level, retain them to their current level, or determines their possibility of graduating. Standardized testing should be abolished due to the negative impacts it has placed on the social/cultural aspect of schools, teachers and students. First of all, standardized testing should be terminated due to the negative effect it has on schools. A school will stay in business if students are passing these tests, however if the students do not pass, the school would be endangered of closing. Schools receive government funds due to their performance on standardized testing, therefore, they reduce “recess” time. Lacking daily exercise can significantly decrease students’ social, emotional, and academic well-being, causing the school to …show more content…
There have been cases of teachers residing resulting from the stress caused by preparing students for the tests. There are even reportings of teachers termination due to cheating on standardized tests. According to a July 2011 state report, “178 Atlanta public school teachers and administrators from 44 schools were found to be cheating on standardized tests.” The test holds an extreme significance to both the teacher and the student creating an uneasy, tense testing environment. Teachers are required to “teach to the test” inhibiting the student’s ability to garner a higher order of thinking. They focus so strictly on the test, teachers often lack creativity. Standardized tests are used as a punish/reward system to the teacher that most definitely holds an influence on scores. If teachers feel stressed to the point of cheating or even resignation, it declines the test’s credibility as well as