Advantages And Disadvantages Of Standardized Testing

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The Disadvantages Caused by Standardized Testing Professor Seymour Sarason once said, “we live in a test-conscious, test-giving culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance” (1959). Standardized testing has been an issue throughout the history of the United States. Research has continuously shown that standardized tests are not a fair measure of intelligence for individuals who suffer a variety of disadvantages. Additionally, the rigorous qualifications that are required by these assessments are often not met due to the challenges that schools and educators must face as well. As a whole, scholars agree that students, schools, and teachers face a variety of disadvantages as a result of standardized testing. …show more content…
For example, Bhattacharyya, Junot, and Clark (2014) include examples from interviews of the severe anxiety that teachers face in society today. One high school chemistry teacher stated that, “If the scores don’t indicate improvement, the school’s reputation is at risk. It can’t help but raise a teacher’s anxiety level” (p. 636). Also, a study by Smith (1991) confirms that “standardized tests raise the anxiety level of educators because of public notification, and sometimes parent ridicule, of school test scores” (Bhattacharyya et al., 2014, p. 636). In light of the issue involving lower-income schools, researchers Keogh, Garvis, Pendergast, and Diamond (2012) explain that “novice teachers are leaving the profession because they lack classroom resources, parental support, and professional development that all affect testing outcomes” (Bhattacharyya et al., 2014, p. 636). The sources throughout all coincide with the idea that this journal that educators often face the backlash of standardized tests and consequently endure high anxiety

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