Standardized Testing and School Curriculum

Alexis Kennard

June 29,2018

Neagle, Win

ENG 112-0007

Standardized Testing and School Curriculum

Most parents send their children to school to gain knowledge that will help them throughout life. School curriculum is used to help guide the lessons and context that is taught by teachers, to have students ready for the end-of-year standardized tests. Standardized testing limits what can be taught throughout the year. End-of-year assessments, should not be restricted to just standardized testing; it should contain different variations of ways to tests the students’ knowledge. Today, there are many students whose strengths lie in presenting material, writing essays, PowerPoints, project, etc., but their weakness is in standardized testing. Schools should be able to tests students on the curriculum, based on their strengths.

Some say that standardized tests are objective, as these tests are based on set of similar questions. Also, it is argued that standardized tests help eliminate different grading practices between teachers (Churchill). I argue that although standardized tests have the same question bank and eliminate biased grading, it does not account for students who are not sufficient test takers. Standardized testing limits students who excel in other assessments. Also, when students take the SAT/ACT, they are only tested on math, science, and writing; it does not show their strengths in public speaking, cooking, music, or other areas that is a strength (Pat).

Another argued point is that standardized tests help compare students nationwide. Standardized tests scores are used in charter schools, district schools, and STEM schools to help parents decide where to send their children. When a student takes a standardized test their test scores are compared to other students nationwide to see how they are meeting the state and nation benchmarks (Churchill).  To argue that point, students may be compared on standardized scores, but not on their overall grades. Students overall grades and standardized scores rarely coincide (O’Malley). “In 2009, the study showed that 88 percent of the 200,000-plus students in Algebra I passed the course, yet only 56 percent passed the 10th grade TAKS exam (O’Malley).”  There are many factors that can lead to this outcome. One factor is test anxiety, around 18%-20% of students suffer from moderate to severe test anxiety (Driscoll). Test anxiety is when students freeze up and/or draw blanks during testing. This type of anxiety reduces your “working” memory, and increases mistakes (Driscoll). Another reason for the difference in scores and grades is that a student’s overall grade is based on their performance, which is based on participation, quizzes, reports, presentation, and other aspects that can be tested without a standardized test (O’Malley).

One may contend that standardized tests help keep teachers focus on essential and important content and eliminates time-wasting activities. Teaching for the test helps students focus on important material that they can master and become an expert at. In 2009, 81% of public school teachers stated that their teaching was not compromised by standardized testing (ProCon). Standardized tests take up little to no overall class time. I dispute this claim due to the fact that standardized tests do narrow curriculum. A standardized test can only cover a small and limited sample of information that is taught, so the material that will be covered is taught to an extreme. Standardized tests do not advance knowledge, skills, or habits needed for college entry. Narrowing curriculum pushes students out of school and teachers out of their professions (Fairtest).  Since standardized test scores are main indicators for school performance, teachers and school administers feel extremely pressured to have high test scores no matter what it takes. Curriculum today is said to match the test, and is taught for what will be on the upcoming test. Education is more like test prep than it is teaching the subject.

Standardized testing only shows a single score evaluation, it does not show how a student grows over a certain time period (Tests). At the beginning of the year a student may not understand a subject, but they can work with their teachers and tutors to get to a place of understanding. When taking a standardized test during the year, the first test shows a low score, while the last test shows a dramatic increase. There is no way of showing how hard that student worked over the year to get to that point of a high score. Another example is if a student scores bad on their first test, works hard with the teacher and studies, then takes the final test and the score is improved but still low. That low score only shows how they are underperforming, and not how hard he worked to increase his previous score. After seeing a low score for the second time can discourage students into not trying anymore, due to the fact that they worked hard and it didn’t pay off in the end. If the student was given a project at the beginning of the year and scored low, and then increased his effort and attention to the subject, and at the end of the year performed another project and received a higher grade. The teacher can see the improvement in the student and is able to grade accordingly.