The Debate on Standardized Testing by Victoria Schevon

What standardized tests don't measure

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-10 14:36:21 UTC

In her Ted Talk, Nikki Adeli explains that standardized tests don’t measure important skills like creativity, critical thinking, or real world problem solving. Instead, they focus on memorization, formulas, and test taking strategies, which fail to reflect a student’s true abilities or potential. She points out that this narrow focus can discourage meaningful learning and place unnecessary stress and competition on students. She focuses on the point that standardized testing can overlook talent, reinforce inequalities, and emphasize the wrong skills, making them a flawed tool for assessing student achievement.

Honest ACT/SAT tutor

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-10 14:54:02 UTC

The TikTok video “POV: Honest ACT/SAT Tutor” by James Leonidas shows a tutor admitting that the SAT and ACT don’t really measure intelligence, creativity, or real-world skills. Instead, they test memorization, formula use, and test-taking strategies. The video is funny but also makes a serious point that even people who prepare students for these exams see how flawed and stressful they are. It highlights one of the biggest problems with standardized testing which is that they focus on short term tricks rather than actual learning or ability, making the system unfair for many students.

Socioeconomic disparities in scores

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-10 15:06:58 UTC

This New York Times article shows that SAT scores are strongly tied to a student’s socioeconomic background. The article shows graphs that students from wealthier families tend to score higher because they have more access to resources like tutoring, test prep, and extracurricular opportunities, while lower-income students often face disadvantages that result in lower their scores. This highlights a major problem with standardized testing and shows that these tests do not just measure student's ability. It reflects the problem of inequality, and gives an unfair advantage to students who do not already have more support and a head start for a better score.

Testing cartoon

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-13 17:11:02 UTC

This cartoon shows a job interview where the boss asks what real world skills the applicant has, and he just answers, “Tests. I can take tests.” It’s making fun of how school and standardized testing often focus more on getting good scores than on teaching skills people actually need in life. The joke points out that being good at taking tests doesn’t really help much in the real world, which is one of the big problems with relying too much on standardized testing.

Effects of Standardized Testing on Students & Teachers

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-13 23:12:12 UTC

This American University article explains both the supposed benefits and the real problems with standardized testing in US schools. It points out that while tests are meant to measure achievement and hold schools accountable, they actually cause a lot of stress for students, narrow the curriculum to mostly math and reading, and ignore how different kids learn. It also shows how teachers feel pressured to “teach to the test,” spend too much time on test prep, and sometimes get judged unfairly when scores don’t reflect their actual teaching. The article suggests alternatives like portfolios and performance-based assessments, which do a better job of showing real learning, but overall it makes clear that standardized testing has more downsides than benefits.

How Standardized Tests Are Limiting for Those With Disabilities

vicschevon1404 — 2025-09-13 23:20:18 UTC

I really wanted to address how standardized testing affects those who have disabilities. I found this article that covered the most common and main learning disabilities. It explains that kids with dyslexia, ADHD, ADD, dysgraphia, non-verbal disabilities, visual, hearing or motor challenges struggle with even the basic parts of a test, like reading the questions quickly or filling in bubbles, which makes their scores look lower than their actual intelligence or abilities. The article highlights how timed tests are a huge issue, even though some students can apply for extra time through accommodations like the SAT/ACT, the process is complicated and not always enough. On top of that, the pressure and repeated failures can damage self-esteem, increase dropout risks, and even lead to long-term negative outcomes like unemployment. Overall, the article makes it clear that standardized tests don’t give a fair or accurate picture of what students with disabilities can really do.