Essay on Standardized Testing - 1458 Words

The No Child Left Behind Act and Standardized Testing: State, National, and International American Education has been a work in progress for the past century and a half. To measure its progress, successes, and failings, there are standardized tests. These tests have been used to compare schools, states, and nations. The key subjects being tested as a universal measure are mathematics, reading, and science. To help improve the scores on these tests, the United States put into law the No Child Left Behind act in 2001. When mention of this act is made, it brings several serious questions to mind. What is the No Child Left Behind act? What is it doing for our education system on a local, national and international scale? And how does it†¦show more content†¦A pointed question would be: is it working? One of the purposes of standardized testing is to answer that question. In the U.S. today, there is a great deal of emphasis being placed on children passing the many standardized tests that have been imposed. By means of standardization, education can now be weighed an d have its progress tracked. The performance of students is now a matter of numbers and statistics. The most ambitious form of standardized testing as a form of comparison is the Program for International Student Assessment or PISA. This international testing includes 60 nations belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and ranks the performance of 15-year-old students in the core subjects. When the results of the 2009 PISA testing were released, the United States was faced with the harsh reality that our students are falling behind. American students placed 14th in reading literacy, which shows no improvement since 2000, 25th in mathematics, which is still below average, and 17th place in scientific literacy which was an improvement from the below average scores in 2006. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan granted that it was a small victory in his 2009 address, but he remained firm in the fact that America can do better (Duncan, 2010). Such ques tions as why the low scores are being produced and what to do about it are still a matter of heated debate. Members of the Common Core, who wrote an extensiveShow MoreRelatedStandardized Testing1272 Words   |  6 PagesSynthesis Essay on Standardized Testing Standardized testing in the United States started in the mid- 1800’s (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). This kind of testing was originally created to measure students’ performance and progress in school (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). In recent years, the public school system has relied heavily on the information this test provides, in doing so creating controversy. Other than being a student myself, and participating in multiple standardized exams such asRead MoreStandardized Testing : Standardized Tests1186 Words   |  5 Pages Standardized Testing Impact Standardized testing is known to improve students’ education, but is it really needed in school? Standardized testing determines whether a student is prepared for the next grade based on their test scores. While some students do great on their test others struggle a lot. Not all students are good test takers; majority of the students do good in school but struggle when it comes down to testing. While many agree that standardized testing helps improve studentsRead MoreStandardized Testing And Standardized Tests1204 Words   |  5 Pagessomething we have all nearly fallen asleep to over our years of standardized tests. I myself can be included with you in that experience and I hope to give you a little more information on these all too familiar tests this afternoon. Today we are going to look at the origins of standardized testing, the purpose of standardized testing, and standardized tests around the world. But first, I want to ask you another question: what is standardized t esting? Is it A) something that has been used for some time inRead MoreStandardized Tests : Standardized Testing963 Words   |  4 PagesOct 2015 Standardized Testing in Florida In recent years Florida’s standardized testing program has taken a turn for the worst. After doing away with the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) the debate has only grown due to flood of new tests being created such as the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) or End of Course Exam (EOC). These tests are administered to test students’ abilities at the end of the school year. In spring of 2015, with only two months of testing between the EOC’sRead More Standardized Testing Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesStandardized Testing Scholar Bill Ayers believes standardized testing in schools does not accurately measure what is necessary to be successful in life. Ayers insists that Standardized tests such as the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) measure specific facts and function which are among the least interesting and slightest important information that children should know. In an article titled â€Å"Testing the Right Way for Talent†, written by Hugh Price, arguesRead MoreStandardized Testing Should Be Standardized Tests1329 Words   |  6 PagesPretty much everybody in this generation has taken a standardized test in some level of schooling. A standardized test is defined as a â€Å"test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a standard or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students o r groups of students† (â€Å"Standardized Test Definition†). There is lots of debate aroundRead MoreThe Use of Standardized Testing1088 Words   |  4 Pagesthe use of standardized testing has spanned centuries, some of the earlier studies include data from the early 1900’s. According to Frazier (2009), â€Å"there is a significant difference in scores on standardized tests when students have completed a technology education program†. This study shows a correlation between the use of technology within the school system and achievement on standardized tests. Students that are exposed to technology education are more likely to do well on standardized tests. Read MoreEssay On Standardized Testing1137 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized testing in public schools has become a norm across the United States. But, in Texas it has been found that students spend more time taking standardized tests than any other state (â€Å"Too Much Testing†). Standardized testing may be an asset to measure education, or more measure testing skills across the nation, but at what cost does it come? What are its effects on moral within the public education system, and how does the state government of Texas interact within it. Why does the TexasRead MoreThe Shortcomings of Standardized Testing1636 Words   |  7 PagesSince the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. ThoughRead MoreThe Limitations Of Standardized Testing Essay705 Words   |  3 PagesThe limitations of â€Å"standardized testingà ¢â‚¬  as a rigid and narrow criterion for gauging the educational capabilities of students in public education. The criterion for standardized testing relies on narrow areas of knowledge that define a hierarchical imposition of â€Å"intelligence† testing that forces the student to perform ion a constrained academic environment. This type of testing has become a mechanized tool to reject the individual needs of the student in a linear testing methodology. The importance