Standardized Tests and Their Controversial Usefulness

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Cora Barker

Ms. Decker

English

13 December 2015

Standardized Tests and Their Controversial Usefulness

        Standardized tests are tools that can be used for good or for evil. Only with extensive research and true understandings can we decide on the best ways to use them. Schools all over the world use them to measure student achievement, teacher performance, and college readiness. However, some educators and schools believe standardized tests are being used incorrectly by creating superficial thinkers, underrepresenting certain groups, causing stress, and inaccurately measuring student achievement. Students typically oppose them while educators encourage them. It is hard to say though whether standardized tests are necessary and useful or not due to the many pros and cons presented.

        Proponents for standardized tests will advocate the large number of benefits and why they are useful tools to educators. These tests are used by many colleges as entrance exams, more widely known as the SAT and ACT. In fact, mandating tests such as the SAT and ACT increase college-going rates. With much research, researchers are able to say that by mandating the SAT for all students increased rates of enrollment in four-year colleges by two to three percentage points overall, and by ten percentage points for students who wouldn’t have taken it.

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Just as mandating the SAT increases college-going rates, it can also help to benefit public high schools. One of these schools happens to be located in Maine. In 2007 Maine became the first state to require administration of the SAT. Because of this requirement, Maine had an increase in college-goers. “…the increase was large, given that half of Maine public high school seniors typically enroll in college” (Adams 1). Maine is now making the SAT optional, but students will still be required to take other tests (1).

        In addition to higher college-going rates, standardized testing sometimes measures student performance. Standardized tests can do a great job at showing a student’s knowledge, skills, and understanding (Walberg 2). With challenging questions that require critical thinking and understanding of the subject, educators can effectively understand a student’s knowledge. Doing well at some sections, and poorly at others, can help the teachers to recognize the student’s understanding of the material and evaluate their skill sets.

        Also, standardized tests can help in admission to colleges, graduate programs, and professional schools. When a student does fairly well on admission tests they prove that they are ready for the new school or program and are a valuable student. Doing bad on these tests helps to rule out those who aren’t prepared or ready (2).

        Along with measuring student performance, standardized tests can help target areas for development. After a student finishes a test they are then graded on it. Upon receiving their grade, the student can then benefit directly from it by seeing which areas he or she needs to work on.

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With the rise of computers and technology, and combined with online standardized tests, students can receive quick feedback on their performance. Having such quick feedback to correct and incorrect answers can help students specifically target problem areas. By doing this, they continue to learn and improve their skills and understanding (2-3).

        Not only does standardized testing target areas for development, it can also encourage learning. By raising passing requirements, students tend to study more, therefore obtaining more of the information. Having something to study for and do well on encourages a student.

        Also, standardized tests sometimes encourage learning by increasing constructive activities. By giving students standardized tests that are required to graduate or pass a class, the students are much more likely to engage in talks with their parents about schoolwork or complete their homework. That also means less television and cell-phone use. By working harder, students concentrate more on meeting standards and monitoring their own time and progress (3).

        In the same way as encouraging learning, standardized tests can improve the curriculum and classroom instruction. Without standardized testing, teachers could teach in any way they want. Sometimes they may not even teach. By having these tests, they force teachers to follow approved curriculum framework and it ensures that students are being taught properly. These tests and the scores that result help give schools insight on how well the teacher teaches and if they are doing their job properly.

        Furthermore, standardized tests can improve the framework that teachers must abide by. By giving assessments, educators can discover what students are learning. Whatever seems to be holding students back can be changed in the curriculum. When this is done, student knowledge

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can then increase. These tests effectively change instructional practices fairly quickly (Sireci 1-2).

        However, opponents against standardized tests will argue the many reasons why they are useless and unnecessary. These opponents believe the tests do not actually measure important attributes in students. One reason for this is because sometimes the tests leave out creativity and critical thinking skills. The tests sometimes only test a small sample of knowledge and not actually how the students think through the questions. “Achievement means more than a score on a standardized test” (Harris, Harris, and Smith 1). Because of this, standardized tests can provide an incomplete picture of student achievement (1).

        Just as standardized tests can leave out creativity and critical thinking, they can also discourage analytical thinking. Analytical thinking uses a more logical way to think while superficial thinking doesn’t take any character or depth. When a student is taught by the questions asked on a specific test, they are only memorizing the answers, and not actually analyzing the information and forming an answer (2).

        Along with not measuring important attributes, standardized tests can create superficial thinkers. When teachers focus more on higher scores, they will usually teach their students the best way to answer by teaching them to seek the “quick, easy, and obvious answer” (3). “…so by ignoring attributes that they can’t properly assess, standardized tests inadvertently create incentives for students to become superficial thinkers” (Harris, Harris, and Smith 3).