There is only one constant in school, and that is standardized testing. Everybody, in America at least, is familiar with the small bubbles and booklets that have recurred every single year since about third grade. I used to think of them as harmless- they didn't take much time, we didn't get homework on those nights, and the results didn't mean much to me.
But then I got to high school. Suddenly, standardized testing became a deciding factor of my future. There is the PLAN, the EXPLORE, the SAT, the PSAT, the ISEE, the SSAT, etc. Suddenly, what used to be a minor annoyance in my schedule was now a major obstacle in the path to college. Not only college, but the rest of my life! Being a junior, the test next on my agenda is the ACT. I have heard of people taking it 5, 8, 11 times before they achieved their best score. All that tells me is that there is so much to be anxious about. Will that be me? How many times will I take it before I reach a score that I am comfortable with? How many times will I take it before I reach a score that is socially acceptable?
All of these questions made me wonder what the standardized testing really does for us. After doing a bit of research, (
here, and
here...and
here) I've gathered some pros and cons.
Pros: Information can be easily screened; areas of strength and weakness are easily observed; it's an easy way to compare us to others, say, when reading application; it can track our progress over time.
Cons: There is an issue about whether we are tested to measure our intelligence, our test-taking
ability, or our home life; they are causing students to be tested more vigorously and frequently then ever before; standardized testing actually costs a great deal of cash; the tests can be biased; some people can afford better test preparation.
In my opinion, the cons greatly outweigh the pros. To me the tests seem entirely political and only a benefit for the people that have to grade them. Learning should be measured by how students act in the classroom, not how they attempt to comprehend a random literary excerpt. And if the creators choose to call standardized testing by that name, shouldn't they recognize that there can never be one, all-powerful standard that applies to every student?
I agree with Ozakh. I think that the ACT is an incredibly unfair way of testing students. It doesn't test out actual abilities in the subjects they claim to be testing. For instance, in the English section, they ask us to tell them whether sentence A would be better placed in position 2 or position 3. Anyone can tell you what a piece of writing should look like, but the real world doesn't require that. It requires that we can compose a coherent document based on our own knowledge or research. I believe that the ACT should test out ability to think critically, synthesize ideas, and reproduce our own analysis of information given, whereas the current ACT only asks us to show how well we can fill in bubbles and use tricks taught to us by experts on the test. If we want our world to be as productive as possible, why don't we test abilities of productivity instead of basic test taking abilities. The real world isn't a multiple test. It's synthesizing and reproducing information. That's where the ACT has gone wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that the cons to standardized testing are obnoxious, and that the tests may not recognize the potential of every student, what other way is there to test their knowledge on a general scale? Standardized testing allows schools to place each child at the same level, and allows their knowledge to take over. And doesn't this knowledge depend on how well the student pays attention in class? You said, " Learning should be measured by how students act in the classroom", well the standardized test does do its best to test that. If students partipate and try in their classrooms won't their test scores accurately demonstrate that?
ReplyDeleteOzakh, this is a work of genius. I hope you continue to produce such words of genius. You continue to inspire me. I haven't heard anything this brilliant since Justin Bieber's hit single, One Less Lonely Girl.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
Chelsea- Part of my reservations against standardized testing have to do with the fact that these tests strive to put everyone on their generalized scale. How is that scale determined? How can you compare students that learn at a school that gets a lot of money for education versus a school that receives very little money for education? Where do people with mental disabilities fall on that scale?
ReplyDeleteIn addition, like Anna said, "...the ACT should test out ability to think critically, synthesize ideas, and reproduce our own analysis of information given...the current ACT only asks us to show how well we can fill in bubbles and use tricks taught to us by experts on the test." In class, we are able to use these skills. On a standardized test, the terms are much more different. Plus, teachers and parents always say that the only way to prepare for the tests is to take practice tests. There is no studying that you can do, and when it comes down to it the test is all about logic and nothing about knowledge.
Anonymous- I'm glad you feel that way. :)
Wow. I stumbled upon this blog in my leisure time and after I read it I was stunned. There is so much incredible truth in your statements. I just love you. I really do. Please continue to post your works of true art. I'll be waiting ;)
ReplyDelete