Standardized testing has taken many blows from critics because of its inadequacies. However, few stop to consider how the shortcomings of the tests and curriculum affect the students subjected to them. According to the U.S. government, 49.5% of adolescents in 2010 met the criteria for various mental health disorders (“Prevalence”). With an education system so focused on success and a country full of opportunities, why are the country 's youth foundering? Criticisms of standardized testing include its inability to effectively evaluate student and teacher performances and creating a curriculum that encourages information regurgitation in place of critical thinking, but few critics recognize its effects on the mental health of students. While
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Supporters of standardized testing, such as Herbert J. Walberg, argue that the tests are good for measuring student performance, targeting areas in education that need to be more developed, helping make American students more globally competitive, encouraging learning, and boosting pride in student achievements (“Standardized Tests Effectively Measure Student Achievement”). Overall, those in favor of the tests believe they are effective tools for measuring student achievement in the classroom, and every subject should be tested in order to ensure a more accurate …show more content…
Campbell, a distinguished social scientist (Berliner and Nichols). Standardized testing is an exemplary illustration of this belief. It has been emphasized and glorified at the expense of students and their futures, and in turn, the future of America. In a world so focused on competition, it is important to take a step back and remember that being alive is equally as important as being valedictorian. It is one thing to expect greatness of America’s students, but pushing them to the breaking point is not the way to make them
Supporters of standardized testing, such as Herbert J. Walberg, argue that the tests are good for measuring student performance, targeting areas in education that need to be more developed, helping make American students more globally competitive, encouraging learning, and boosting pride in student achievements (“Standardized Tests Effectively Measure Student Achievement”). Overall, those in favor of the tests believe they are effective tools for measuring student achievement in the classroom, and every subject should be tested in order to ensure a more accurate …show more content…
Campbell, a distinguished social scientist (Berliner and Nichols). Standardized testing is an exemplary illustration of this belief. It has been emphasized and glorified at the expense of students and their futures, and in turn, the future of America. In a world so focused on competition, it is important to take a step back and remember that being alive is equally as important as being valedictorian. It is one thing to expect greatness of America’s students, but pushing them to the breaking point is not the way to make them