Should Standardized Testing Be Enforced in All Schools?

Argumentative Essay- Should Standardized Testing be Enforced in All Schools?

Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. The use of these tests soared during the 21st century as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated testing in the states. US students dwindled from the ranked of 18 globally in math in 2000, to 27 in 2012. Many people see this drastic decline of American education compared to the world, as a direct result of the introduction of standardized testing. Standardized testing has added unnecessary stress to students’ lives, and arguably only measure a small fraction of intelligence.

Standardized testing is a stress that is not necessary in a student’s life. High school students today are expected to have a high GPA, while taking challenging courses, being on a sports team, doing community service and along with maintaining healthy leisure time (which most students don't get). Adding standardized testing to the very top of that list is too much for a student to handle. There have been studies done that show a strong correlation between household income and a high standardized testing grade. This means that these tests are based on how much you prep for the test and how many strategies you learn versus natural, raw talent. Standardized testing causes severe stress in younger students and produces gripping anxiety in even the brightest students. For a single test, the ACT or the SAT, to determine a student’s intelligence is absurd because intelligence consists of much more than studying for the test.

Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. According Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities that standardized tests cannot measure include "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, leadership, honesty, integrity." Teaching to the test is replacing good teaching practices with repetitive