Standardized Testing: Good or Bad? by Jasmine Williams

Fact One:

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:11:09 UTC

Standardized tests were originally created to evaluate one's reading comprehension to determine if someone was fit enough to work in politics

Fact Two:

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:11:55 UTC

Standardized tests have been in effect since the early 1930's

Fact Three:

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:14:40 UTC

Standardized Tests have become more about capitalizing on money income rather than a child's knowledge comprehension

Fact Four:

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:16:07 UTC

In some states a teachers pay salary depends upon how well their students test scores come out

Fact Five:

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:17:17 UTC

Pearson Education dominate standardized tests. At this point in time students can be taking Pearson designed tests from kindergarten all the way through the eighth grade. Tests in which students prepared for using Pearson curriculum that was being taught by Pearson certified educators.

Brief Overview

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:50:51 UTC

Posting Guidelines

jkwilliams112 — 2018-04-23 17:54:21 UTC

No

2018-04-23 19:32:51 UTC

It is very hard to pinpoint just how much a person knows. There are a bunch of things that could influence their ability to perform on the test, like test anxiety or lack of sleep.

They don't matter

2018-04-23 19:34:54 UTC

In grade school, they dictated who I was and my abilities. In high school, I resented them because they made me feel like just a number. Essentially, that's all they do, and once you get to college, they don't matter as much.

Yes

2018-04-23 19:36:42 UTC

Kids don't see the purpose of the tests beyond the fact that they're required, so it's hard to not be stressed about them.

Yes

2018-04-23 19:40:27 UTC

I have had many teachers that wished they didn't have to give as many tests. Several of my teachers have agreed that the scores only put people in a box and that they mean nothing in the working world.

Unnecessary labels

2018-04-23 19:42:37 UTC

All Standardized Tests did was make everyone--including the "smart" kids--feel dumb and gave "smarter" people another reason to act superior to their peers.

I'm not good at testing

2018-04-23 20:49:06 UTC

I personally am not good at testing. I would much rather be told to do a project or present a power point. I remember studying hard for the SATs, which I took twice in highschool. I also remember that even though I studied hard my second score wasn't much better than my first.

No

2018-04-23 20:50:22 UTC

I don't feel that standardized test were a good judged of how smart I am. I can do great if I'm presenting or doing a project. Standardized testing is not an accurate way to test someones abilities.

Looking back it doesn't

2018-04-23 20:53:28 UTC

At the time when I was taking them I felt they mattered alot. My parents and school told me it would affect what schools I would get accepted to or what grades I would get. Being at Lasell college it no longer matters.

Very

2018-04-23 20:54:28 UTC

I think that it puts alot of stress on the student. I know that in highschool I was told that my future depended on my grade. Being a bad test taker I was extremely worried.

Yes definitely

2018-04-23 20:54:51 UTC

Educators need a way to understand how well they are doing there jobs but standardized tests arn't the answer. Many teachers are good teachers but if the students are not good test takers it doesn't matter how good the teacher is. I am not a teacher but I can only imagine how stressed they would become.

Teacher

2018-04-24 22:27:27 UTC

Test taking has never been my strongest area although my test anxiety did not stop me from being a Teacher. I endured many setbacks when it came to taking a test, but I persevered through the situation and sought the help of others.

Teacher

2018-04-24 22:31:40 UTC

Although data is the driving force to inform our instructional practices, I do not believe that a test that is administered for a couple of days does not accurately reflect the student’s progress. There are other meaningful ways that we can collect data as teachers to inform our instructional practices and our student’s ability. We should look to pre-assessments, post-assessments, and summative assessments as a means of collecting data. From the information gathered, teachers will be able to have an open dialogue about student progress. In addition, meaningful discussions can take place with the students and teachers. The goal is to make the learning experiences for our students more relevant I teach at a Catholic School, so there is not a lot of data available because we as not required to give standardized test. The only test our students take is the PSAT and SAT. However, I do collect data using various assessments to inform my instructional practices so that I can grow as a teacher and support student learning.

Teacher

2018-04-24 22:32:31 UTC

When I was in High School, the teachers would tell us that they were counting on the honors students to perform the best on the test. They put a lot of pressure on us.

In college, standardized test hindered my ability to enter the Teaching Preparation Program. Since, I struggled to pass the Math section of the Praxis I, I had to change my major. I was not given adequate support during my years as an undergraduate to prepare for this test.

When I decided to take the certification test again, the requirements had changed. I did pass the Praxis II, but it was still a difficult task. It took months of preparation and studying to pass these tests. So, the test do matter to me because I needed to pass each test in order to move on in my profession

Teacher

2018-04-24 22:34:17 UTC

With so many pressures in our society today, students are still pressured to do their best on standardized test. Many students feel that it is a competition and feel that they must sacrifice so much time and energy preparing for the test. There is also a downside to this. Students may feel the stress put upon them from their teachers, and they may decide not to put too much effort into their studies.

Teacher

2018-04-24 22:36:19 UTC

Many of my friends who work in the public sector do feel a lot of pressure. There are always new initiatives being implemented outside of the already established curriculum the needs to be implemented effectively. The Teachers know that data can be used to identify how their students are performing during the test. However, there are so many mitigating factors that can be a hindrance to the learning environment. My friends say these issues are not often taken into consideration. Instead, the blame is placed on the Teachers. This leaves Teachers feeling discouraged and inadequate. What many of my friends say reflects the need for instructional support for those students who may need additional assistance that goes beyond the classroom.

2018-04-25 01:28:13 UTC

I was never particularly stressed by tests because I was confident in my abilities, but I did feel a lot of pressure to get high marks and felt an unhealthy competition with my peers for good scores. We put too much value in what our scores were and how inportant they were to who we were as people.

Sarah Kimmelman

2018-04-25 01:29:19 UTC

I have had a very bad experience with standardized testing. I actually woke up the morning of the first day of third grade and started crying. The reason I was crying was because I knew that I had to take the MCAS in third grade. We didn't take them until April but I was freaking out about them in September. Ever since then I have been very nervous when it comes to test.

2018-04-25 01:30:28 UTC

I believe that high stakes tests have taken education hostage and that the only thing kids seem to learn anymore is what is on the test and, increasingly, how to take the tests. Because the only thing that is taught is what will appear on a bubble sheet, there is so much knowledge that they fail to measure.

Sarah Kimmelman

2018-04-25 01:32:15 UTC

No, a test that takes four hours does not accurately measure the years of work you have put in.

2018-04-25 01:32:16 UTC

To me they no longer matter and I realize they never really did. The scholarship I would have gotten from MCAS only applied to state schools, and here SAT don't seem to carry much weight in admissions anyway.

Sarah Kimmelman

2018-04-25 01:33:30 UTC

Unfortunately, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well on tests. If I don't do well on a test I get really down because I feel like I failed myself. My tests scores still matter a lot to me, but over the years I have learned that if I tried my best, then that's all I can ask of myself.

2018-04-25 01:33:53 UTC

Since teacher and student futures are often determined by these tests, there is way too much pressure on the students both by the teachers and themselves.

2018-04-25 01:34:51 UTC

Absolutely

Sarah Kimmelman

2018-04-25 01:35:44 UTC

Absolutely, students these days think that their test scores define who they are, when in reality, it is isn't that way at all.

Sarah Kimmelman

2018-04-25 01:37:02 UTC

Yes. think teachers are now teaching their students in ways that will help them pass tests. I think teachers would much rather teach the things they want to teach

2018-04-25 01:50:49 UTC

I've had to take standardized tests for as long as I can remember. I always got nervous before having to take a test, but I usually did pretty well. Like someone above said I also felt a ton of pressure to do well. I felt weirdly competitive with my classmates, which in a way motivated me, but probably not in the healthiest way.

2018-04-25 02:02:09 UTC

Definitely not. There is so much more to a person's intelligence than how well they do on a test.

2018-04-25 02:03:10 UTC

Standardized test scores mattered until I got in to college. Once I was admitted, I didn't need them anymore. I haven't even thought about what my scores were since coming to college.

2018-04-25 02:04:55 UTC

Absolutely. They make it seem like these test are the be all end all and if you don't do well then you won't be considered "smart." We're not even promoting the other kinds of intelligence that exists - everything revolves around these test

2018-04-25 02:08:03 UTC

Yes. I think there is so much focus on getting students to pass the test instead of actually learning and interpreting the material.

Teacher:C.

2018-04-25 12:51:00 UTC

I have never felt prepared for standardized tests. I have always managed to do well but cannot say that I studied or did anything special. I honestly have always felt that I guess well.

Teacher:CW

2018-04-25 12:53:01 UTC

No, I had a friend in high school who was placed on the lowest level classes but through her actual grades and work, she was in majority honors courses. This showed me that they were not a good indication of academic ability.

Teacher: CW

2018-04-25 12:57:15 UTC

As I always seemed to do well, I was placed into higher level courses in high school. In addition, I was placed in higher level literature courses in college based on my SAT scores. I was always nervous and felt like I would not do well. I do not feel they are important because I would rather evaluate a whole person/student than base decisions on test scores.

Teacher: CW

2018-04-25 13:00:37 UTC

With so much talk of mindfulness in education, I think that we need to evaluate the level of pressure being put on students. I do believe that students are even more stressed because of the financial implications that these scores may have on students.

Teacher: CW

2018-04-25 13:02:21 UTC

I do believe that there is a lot of pressure on teachers. It effects their timing on lessons and how much assessment is possible before moving on. They have an additional concern of covering all material while going through seasons where weather effects school days.

Not a fan

ashleylssr463 — 2018-04-25 16:45:11 UTC

Ever since elementary school I have not been a fan of standardized testing. I am not a good test taker, and often just end up stressing myself out to the point where I don't do as well as I expected. I never saw the point in taking time out of the school day to do these, seeing as almost all of the questions that were asked were not covering stuff or even related to what we were learning in school at the time. Occasionally, I would get a question that was asking something that I had never learned before.

No

ashleylssr463 — 2018-04-25 16:48:44 UTC

I do not think standardized tests are an accurate way to measure someones knowledge. Every student learns differently and tests differently. There are a variety of other ways to see what a student knows that doesn't put all the stress and pressure on them.

Don't apply at all

ashleylssr463 — 2018-04-25 16:49:59 UTC

My tests scores have not impacted my life at all. The only one that played a slight role in my life was my SAT scores because for some schools I applied to for college they needed to see them. But even then, those scores did not make or break my acceptance. They were a small portion of a much larger application. They do not serve any purpose to me. I don't need my SAT scores anymore seeing as I have already chosen a school to stay at. As for standardized tests I took in middle/high school, I'm not quite sure how those were ever supposed to apply to me. i don't even think I was ever sure what score I got on those tests.

YES

ashleylssr463 — 2018-04-25 16:53:11 UTC

Standardized tests put WAY too much pressure on students! Especially younger students. For a lot of students they get told prior to taking these tests that their results will influence how much funding the school gets, which puts more pressure on them to do well.

YES!

ashleylssr463 — 2018-04-25 16:54:45 UTC

Teachers spend more time in the classroom "teaching to the test" than teaching their students information that is actually beneficial to them and will help them later in their schooling.

2018-04-25 18:10:32 UTC

I've never been a fan of standardize testing. I use to freak out and get really stressed about

No

2018-04-25 18:14:21 UTC

Standardized tests cannot accurately measure someone's knowledge. Not everyone learns at the same pace. Each school, town and state teaches differently as well.

Avery

2018-04-25 18:14:44 UTC

Throughout school, standardized tests would cause me to be very stressed. I never understood the point of these tests and would feel this was only for the teacher's sake.

Avery

2018-04-25 18:16:45 UTC

I don't feel they are an accurate representation of one's knowledge. Every student is different and they adapt differently, why would every student be able to successfully complete the same test?

Avery

2018-04-25 18:18:03 UTC

Throughout grade school test scores very much impacted my life, but today they don't. What I got on my SATs don't matter to me at this point in my life as I am a sophomore in college

They are not important

2018-04-25 18:19:00 UTC

The only thing that's affected by test scores is what college you can get into. Other than that, they haven't affected me at all nor are they important

Avery

2018-04-25 18:20:43 UTC

I was always told my future depended on my grades which caused a lot of stress as well as mental issues.

Avery

2018-04-25 18:21:47 UTC

Yes, I don't feel teachers are worrying about the quality of teaching, they're worried about the end goal and the grade their kids get. It's not how educators should be told how to teach

Yes

2018-04-25 18:22:13 UTC

We are told that standardized tests are so important for your life however they are not. It's an added stress to a busy students life.

Yes

2018-04-25 18:24:55 UTC

Teachers are told they need to do practices during their class time which takes away from what needs to be taught in that class.

Teacher #2

2018-04-25 20:07:49 UTC

I hated taking these type of tests. Since I want to become a teacher I have to take the MTEL. I have taken that test four times, payed a lot of money to take a crash course and I still did worse than my first there times. I ended up changing my major because I couldn't pass.

Teacher #2

2018-04-25 20:10:10 UTC

It's hard to know when we're not educators. But thinking about it, it seems to affect their teaching when we don't pass or if we do pass a certain test.

Teacher #

2018-04-25 20:11:47 UTC

The MTELs have affected my education. I couldn't move on in my major just because I didn't pass. I am not given equal opportunities as those who have passed them.

Not Accurate

2018-04-25 20:54:56 UTC

I know people who have a 4.0 gpa flunk the SATs, and I know people who are failing 3 out of 5 classes, but score nearly perfect on SATs.

Another Teacher

2018-04-26 01:53:44 UTC

Standardized tests are money machines. Thank goodness colleges are growing in numbers in choosing not to consider the test scores. It's honestly a scam. To imagine the organizations feel that you can accurately assess a students intelligence based on some of the most boring literature or math problems that, anyone who doesn't teach to the test, may not have covered is beyond me. And thanks to another commendable bogus idea, the common core is doing a fine job at setting these students up for failure. I would love to see a problem on the sats that involves diving rational polynomials and the students try drawing boxes and shading them in because that's how they learned to divide fractions. The common core is a failed, social experiment that will continue because it's also a money making machine.

Another teacher

2018-04-26 01:56:50 UTC

Standardized tests completely put pressure on the teacher. In today's educational system, the buzzwords that the higher ups feel elated by are growth and data. What better way to show growth and accurately compile data than a standardized test? Well, of course, nothing is better than that - when every school in the city is taking the same test, statistics will share their part and convey information in a way in which one school could say they're better than another. No school wants to be at the bottom, so it becomes competitive for schools to outdo one another. This competition can easily spiral out of control leading schools/departments to focus their time on preparing students for the test.... rather, teaching to the test. If your school isn't showing growth, then teachers must be doing something wrong [sarcasm]. Who else could take the blame?[sarcasm]. So, as a teacher, do you want more stress on your life with admin breathing down your back because the test results weren't favorable, or do you make your life easier and give them what they want? Furthermore, new teachers are trying to keep their jobs, presumably. Nothing like a four hour, nonsense test to demonstrate your value to the classroom.

Another teacher

2018-04-26 02:11:46 UTC

Completely too much pressure for students. The generation of students that are growing up today is far different than generations in the past. Every kid is the next Michael Jordan or Rebecca Lobo, didn't you know? So these kids have grown up believing they are the very best creating a highly competitive environment at an unhealthy young age. So, part of the pressure from these tests is just simply that they have to do better than their peers. But when there are students who have never received a low mark on an assignment and find out they bombed a section on the SATs, it's demoralizing. The fact that some colleges require minimum SAT scores is like telling the student, "hey kid, if you can't reach this score, you're an idiot and we don't want you." Nothing like rejection at some of the most emotional years of development. As a teacher, I find students have a difficult time not checking their phones in a short time, such as 30 minutes. They were born being connected to the billions of people in the world. For a student to sit down for hours not being able to check their phone must cause such anxiety that we can't comprehend. Have you ever gone somewhere and space out and wonder what your mom is doing, or if your dog is okay? Well, multiply those two instance by 15 as students today are connected to so many people on a real-time basis. All this is going on as they're trying to focus on a bogus test that's about to dictate their future. Don't worry, no pressure.

Another teacher

2018-04-26 02:27:57 UTC

First of all, growing up, I paid for everything on my own. I wasn't going to continue paying for a scam with the little money I had. But, ahh, foolish me. Of course that'd come back to haunt me. To be a teacher, you have to take the praxis 1 unless you scored well enough on the SATs. Well, I didn't score well enough so I had to take the praxis one.

Another teacher

2018-04-26 02:31:50 UTC

No, these tests are an awful way of assessing a student. As I wrote in one of the following threads, the psychology of it is so underrated but they don't seem to care about that. I have proctored standardized tests and there are very few students who receive accommodations. Some students might variations of an anxiety disorder that she not diagnosed yet they're expected to remain calm [with the thought in their head the whole time, "this only determines my future and dreams, no biggie"]. Have you meant someone with anxiety? Have the testing agencies, such as collegeboard, met people with these conditions. A disorder is defined as something that interferes with "normal" living. How can someone with a disorder take such a test?