This practice hinders the potential that a child has to learn, removes creativity from the classroom, and causes children to dread going to school more than they already do. Go through this following story to know more about the pros and cons of standardized tests. The numbers are continuing to grow, and just recently, Missouri Legislature banned the test. If a student moves to a different school district, their knowledge and learning processes aren’t going to dramatically change because of standardized testing. Standardized testing creates questions and answers that have their own subjectivity. Standardized testing only provides a one-day evaluation for a student. ... Another potential problem with standardized testing is that it could stifle innovation. I remember a science test that had been developed in California and it asked about earthquakes. This disrupts school routines, lessens time teaching and learning. 7. Even though educators, parents and policymakers might think change signals impact, it says much more about the change in who the students are because it is not measuring the growth of the same student from one year to the next.” [71], Further, because each state develops its own tests, standardized tests are not necessarily comparable across state lines, leaving nationwide statistics shaky at best. 1. Standardized testing provides a set of data that can be mined by schools to improve their structure, teaching methods, and activities. And abolishing the tests or sabotaging the validity of their results only makes it harder to identify and fix the deep-seated problems in our schools.” [62], While grades and other measures are useful for teacher evaluations, standardized tests provide a consistent measure across classrooms and schools. The scores are valuable because an independent agency develops and performs assessments and they come from a reliable source and provide us outcomes which we can be … Education in the United States has included standardized testing in some way since the mid-1800s. After examining both sides argument, the idea of having standardized testing seems to be more beneficial, and outweighs the pros of not having testing. But here was the problem: The “underperforming” kindergarten teacher and the “high-performing” teacher were one and the same person.” [82]. Pros of Standardized Testing: 1. The scores that they are able to achieve become a sense of pride. Teachers can see what they need to … Test Prep Coach: Pros: You will receive direct teaching to improve your deficits. The U.S. most recently ranked 23rd, 39th and 25th in reading, math and science, respectively. This can be especially problematic for students who are high knowledge individuals, but poor test takers. Cons of standardized tests are as follows: Test scores might impact on the confidence of the students. It’s true that computer grading can eliminate the subjectivity of the grade. The article “12 Primary Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing” states, “Without these tests, policy makers would have to depend on tests that are scored by individual teachers and schools that have a vested interest in producing favorable results.” Many teachers are being evaluated on the work that their students do on a standardized test. ], ProCon.org. This means there is a lot of unnecessary competition between classrooms and schools about test results just so that the school can receive the funding that they want or need. But in order to do so, you have to make sure that the test has in fact a spread of scores. Teachers also have conscious and unconscious biases for a favorite student or against a rowdy student, for example. Then, determine your stance (for, against, undecided, indifferent, etc.) 4. 1. Every student is evaluated in the same way with these tests, which means there is a guarantee of a specific educational framework in every school. (Here’s an example.) They can destroy a student’s self-esteem. Teachers can see what they need to teach and when they are able to teach it. This can occur when the characteristics of a new device do not meet the explicit or tacit assumptions that were made in creating the test. W. James Popham, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Los Angeles and former test maker, explains how discrimination is purposefully built in to standardized tests, “Traditionally constructed standardized achievements, the kinds that we’ve used in this country for a long while, are intended chiefly to discriminate among students … to say that someone was in the 83rd percentile and someone is at 43rd percentile. This may create an unintended bias within the grading results, even without grading subjectivity, because the questions could be geared toward a certain ethnic or socioeconomic class to their benefit. 22329. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. 1. And the reason you do that is so you can make judgments among these kids. There’s almost certain to be a significant mismatch between what’s taught and what’s tested.” [81], Margaret Pastor, PhD, Principal of Stedwick Elementary School in Maryland, stated: “[A]n assistant superintendent… pointed out that in one of my four kindergarten classes, the student scores were noticeably lower, while in another, the students were outperforming the other three classes. Many people claim that standardized testing allows an accurate measurement of student progress and teacher effectiveness. It promises big results that do not usually happen. We can improve that be looking at additional key points like these. Parents receive more information about their student. 6. 3. By Thomas Broderick For Americans 60 and younger, standardized testing is part of our shared experience. Standardized tests only look at raw comprehension data. Instead of evaluating the hard work that a student puts in for improvement, the test basically calls the student a failure. Schools are also judged through this process, which has led to some being closed or brought under new management because of a lack of quality. "Standardized Tests." This means the student’s work is compared to the work of other students and then a grade is assigned based on that performance. This means teachers at every grade level are teaching curricula that is similar, no matter where they happen to be. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of exam, according to proponents and opponents. Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Because teachers are almost forced to become hyper-focused on test results, students begin to be identified based on how well they perform. And the community can’t say this school is doing well, this teacher needs help to improve, or this system needs new leadership… It’s really important to have a statewide test because of the income disparity that exists in our society. The issue is highly debated because it carries pros and cons. [72], Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Education & Workforce Development at the time of the quote, stated, “Despite an increased focus on standardized testing, U.S. results in international comparisons show we have made no significant improvement over the past 20 years, according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Teachers also have conscious and unconscious biases for a favorite student or against a rowdy student, for example. Standardized testing causes severe stress in younger students. 3. Standardized testing is an essential tool to developing an advantageous school curriculum. Cons of standardized testing. Standardized testing does offer an alternate version of a test to accommodate some students. If a student receives a 90% rating in mathematics, for example, then parents know that their student is performing better in that subject than 90% of their peers throughout the country. It seems likely that the kinds of habits high school grades capture are more relevant for success in college than a score from a single test.” [84], © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Parents can also see how the educational opportunities in their region compare to national statistics. The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Standardized testing is a controversial topic among teachers, parents, voters, and students. Medical Marijuana – Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option? Standardized tests are a test given to assess a student or a group of students using a test with the same questions and answers to determine students educational stand points. Standardized Testing Pros Proponents of standardized testing say that it is the best means of comparing data from a diverse population, allowing educators to digest large amounts of information quickly. Teaching to the test is a controversial consequence of standardized testing, but there are also benefits. An A in one class may be a C in another. Accountability – Accountability is one thing that this kind of examination offers which is accountable for both teachers and students. These two … Continue Reading "The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing" According to the late Gerald W. Bracey, PhD and education researcher, there are certain qualities that standardized tests cannot measure, such as critical thinking, creativity, motivation, resilience, curiosity, persistence, reliability, endurance, empathy, enthusiasm, self-discipline, self-awareness, civic-mindedness, leadership, compassion, courage, sense of beauty, resourcefulness, honesty, sense of wonder and integrity. What computers cannot do is eliminate the subjectivity of the people who create the test in the first place. Test anxiety can also affect a student’s performance. Although studying opportunities do tend to decline with standardized testing, kids often approach a standardized test as a local competition. The tests do not evaluate creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, artistic ability, or other knowledge areas that cannot be judged by scoring a sheet of bubbles filled in with a pencil. This is why some school systems are pushing back on things like Common Core state standards and ever more colleges are becoming test-optional. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Accountability – Accountability is one thing that this kind of examination offers which is accountable for both teachers and students. Differential item functioning will flag that question as problematic.” [57], Moulon continued, explaining, “What’s cool about psychometrics is that it will flag stuff that a human would never be able to notice. Opponents argue that standardized tests only determine which students are good at taking tests, offer no meaningful measure of progress, and have not improved student performance, and that the tests are racist, classist, and sexist, with scores that are not predictors of future success. The Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Because teacher evaluations are based on the results of standardized tests, it has caused many teachers to change their classroom approach. Mark Moulon, PhD, Chief Executive Officer at Pythias Consulting and psychometrician, offered an example: “If you find that your question on skateboarding is one that boys find to be an easy question, but girls find to be a hard question, that’ll pop up as a statistic. Within the past decade most states have adopted standardized statewide testing programs to measure student achievement—and there's more at stake than just grades. The Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing 1839 Words | 8 Pages. Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing . based on the information you’ve reviewed. The current use of No. It encourages kids to work together. With a poor standardized test score, students can think less of themselves and their abilities. A standardized test could determine the knowledge a student has about musical theory, but it cannot judge the quality of a composition that a student might create. 5. 3. In the modern educational environment, standardized testing is used to evaluate students and their teachers with how well they are performing. 1. In short, the tests only show which students are best at preparing for and taking the tests, not what knowledge students might exhibit if their stomachs weren’t empty. And they have led to improvements in access to instruction for students with disabilities and English learners… Inclusion of students with disabilities and English learners in summative tests used for accountability allows us to measure how well the system is doing for these students, and then it is possible to fill in gaps in instructional opportunity.” [60], Advocates for marginalized groups of students, whether by race, learning disability, or other difference, can use testing data to prove a problem exists and to help solve the problem via more funding, development of programs, or other solutions. As Bryan Nixon, former Head of School at private school Whitby, noted, “When we receive standardized test data at Whitby, we use it to evaluate the effectiveness of our education program. Retrieved from https://standardizedtests.procon.org/, ProCon.org. Standardized testing has been around for a long time with a storied history of evaluating university prospects, job candidates, and other forms of aptitude and intelligence. ], [Editor’s Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Share on Facebook. Standardized testing has not improved student achievement. [61], Chris Stewart, CEO of brightbeam, summarizes, “We only know that there’s a difference between White students and Black students and other students of color because we have the data. Test Prep Coach: Pros: You will receive direct teaching to improve your deficits. Testing also is a helpful tool to inform parents and teachers on a student 's progress in class. Illegal Immigration – What Are the Solutions to Illegal Immigration in America? Select two pros and two cons of standardized testing. Then, determine your stance (for, against, undecided, indifferent, etc.) Pros: The benefits and advantages of standardized testing 1. Standardized testing has been implemented for over a decade, but according to studies, the achievement gap still hasn’t narrowed. Veteran Florida educator, Marion Brady, outlines 34 problems with standardized tests. Thirty years ago, computers were a rarity in the classroom environment. Students feel the pressure when it comes to performing well on tests. Let's examine the pros and cons. After examining both sides argument, the idea of having standardized testing seems to be more beneficial, and outweighs the pros of not having testing. On pros and cons: “Pros: Standardized assessments provide a snapshot of how well a student is learning state standards. ProCon.org. 6. The numbers are continuing to grow, ... Pros and Cons. If we can focus less on taking the test and more on teaching every student in an individualized way as much as possible, we will be able to see the true benefits of this type of test. The educational system in the United States has been using standardized tests to evaluate the performance of students. The Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing 692 Words | 3 Pages. The assessments that are part of NCLB are considered standardized high-stakes tests. Social Media – Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? They assess students based on a similar set of questions, are given under nearly identical testing conditions, and are graded by a machine or blind reviewer. Sub-groups can be easily identified on standardized tests that allow schools to be able to develop services and programs that can help to improve the educational opportunities for those students. Teachers’ grading practices are naturally uneven and subjective. We view standardized testing data as not only another set of data points to assess student performance, but also as a means to help us reflect on our curriculum. Gun Control – Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted? Many people claim that standardized testing allows an accurate measurement of student progress and teacher effectiveness. It promises big results that do not usually happen. Go through this following story to know more about the pros and cons of standardized tests. Grade point averages (GPA) are a 5 times stronger indicator of college success than standardized tests, according to a study of 55,084 Chicago public school students. As Dan Goldhaber, PhD, Director of the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research, and Umut Özek, PhD, senior researcher at the American Institutes for Research, summarize, “students who score one standard deviation higher on math tests at the end of high school have been shown to earn 12% more annually, or $3,600 for each year of work life in 2001… Similarly… test scores are significantly correlated not only with educational attainment and labor market outcomes (employment, work experience, choice of occupation), but also with risky behavior (teenage pregnancy, smoking, participation in illegal activities).” [67], Standardized test scores are easily influenced by outside factors: stress, hunger, tiredness, and prior teacher or parent comments about the difficulty of the test, among other factors. We use test results, along with a slew of other data, to inform instruction for each child. (Here’s an example.) 8. But the question was later used in a test that was administered in New England. Civil rights education lawsuits wherein a group is suing a local or state government for better education almost always use testing data. The pros and cons have been weighted heavily by parents and educators alike—with many left wondering whether or not implementing testing standards have hurt or helped students. This lesson will highlight some of the pros and cons of standardized testing. The Kansas Silent Reading Test (1914-1915) is the earliest known published multiple-choice test, developed by Frederick J. Kelly, a Kansas school director. First, let’s start with some background. It creates an accepted set of standards that are established throughout the entire educational community. Standardized testing cannot accurately show the academic abilities of a student. It is a process which holds students and teachers accountable. Pros of Standardized Testing. Instrumental in Developing Education Policies. As a teacher, you will encounter standardized testing many times in your career. Standardized assessments give parents, students and staff the assurance that our students can and do perform at the highest levels. 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Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing 5/11/15 1:22PM As the American education system continues to place more emphasis on standardized testing to measure academic achievement, critics have argued that it can be more harmful than helpful to students’ development in the long run. Taking that information, schools can determine areas for improvement. And it is unfair to say that just by luck of birth that a child born in Wellesley is somehow entitled to a higher-quality education… Testing is a tool for us to hold the system accountable to make sure our kids have what they need. The teacher prepares and carries out the tasks associated with certain learning skills and uniformly applied across the students. The last time Americans celebrated being 23rd, 39th and 25th in anything was … well, never. Like bringing in low-cost Chromebooks into the classroom on a regular basis. In the USA, American students begin taking a standardized test in primary school. Girls tend to do less well than boys and perform better on questions with open-ended answers, according to a 2018 study by Stanford University’s Sean Reardon, which found that test format alone accounts for 25 percent of the gender difference in performance in both reading and math. This can occur when the characteristics of a new device do not meet the explicit or tacit assumptions that were made in creating the test. This is especially true for gifted and talented students who can regularly score in the top percentile ratings for their grade level. The pros and cons of standardized tests. Standardized tests give my children test taking practice. This intense pressure does not encourage learning. 4. [79] [80] As W. James Popham, PhD, noted, “standardized achievement tests should not be used to determine the effectiveness of a state, a district, a school, or a teacher. We only know about that because we have assessments.” [61], A letter signed by 12 civil rights organizations including the NAACP and the American Association of University Women, explained, “Data obtained through some standardized tests are particularly important to the civil rights community because they are the only available, consistent, and objective source of data about disparities in educational outcomes, even while vigilance is always required to ensure tests are not misused. The Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing 1839 Words | 8 Pages. When we look at Whitby’s assessment data, we can compare our students to their peers at other schools to determine what we’re doing well within our educational continuum and where we need to invest more time and resources.” [58], Keri Rodrigues, Co-founder of the National Parents Union, explained, “If I don’t have testing data to make sure my child’s on the right track, I’m not able to intervene and say there is a problem and my child needs more. They are intended to provide an accurate, unfiltered measure of what a student knows.” [56], Frequently states or local jurisdictions employ psychometricians to ensure tests are fair across populations of students. Standardized testing has been implemented for over a decade, but according to studies, the achievement gap still hasn’t narrowed. COMMENTS. The more data that can be provided, the more accurate the teacher evaluation decisions will end up being. 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