Standardized Testing In Elementary Schools

Standardized Testing There has been a push for standardized testing in elementary schools to improve the performance of students. High test scores demonstrate that the school is effective in teaching, while low test scores make the schools and teachers look as though they are not teaching the students properly. Teachers are feeling pressured to maintain a high standard in the classroom as a result teacher’s are drilling test curriculum into students. The one size fits all standards and curriculum result in many students and teachers feeling stressed every time they step into the classroom. Standardized testing may seem beneficial to predict student performance however Drilling curriculum into students has become an everyday practice …show more content…
This restricts the educators from teaching other important subjects and basic fundamentals in life. “Our schools, once vigorous and dynamic centers for learning, have been reduced to mere test prep factories, where teachers and students act out a script written by someone who has never visited their classroom and where ‘achievement’ means nothing more than scoring well on a bubble test.”(Walker) Teachers are required to provide an excellent education to all students, but in reality they focus too much on testing to the test and not enough time on other essential subjects. Many school districts place so much importance on testing that it affects teachers retention based on the test scores. This in turn forces most teachers to focus a majority of their time on test prep. Teachers are dedicated to help all students achieve to their fullest potential however it becomes difficult when teachers are forced to teach with a one size fits all standard. “The one size fits all model of standardized testing inaccurately measures all students on the same yardstick by assuming they are …show more content…
Teachers are trained to help students with strategies to prepare them for taking standardized tests. Some of the strategies include getting a good night’s sleep, managing your time wisely, maintaining a positive attitude, and eating a healthy breakfast. These strategies may seem beneficial to students, but does it really decrease stress during the test in order for them to score high? Schools are constantly being compared to one another placing high expectations on students to perform well. “Test related jitters, especially among young students, exams comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet incase a student vomits on it.”(ATPE) Standardized tests increase anxiety among students resulting in an inaccurate measure of student performance. Many external factors can cause anxiety in students on test day. For instance the students have an unstable home, or a pet may have passed away. These factors can cause students to stress over the test because they have other thing on their minds. Finally, years of testing may make students believe that good grades are more important than understanding the content. Good grades are nice to maintain, but if the students do not understand the content then they will not know how to apply that knowledge to other