Should Standardized Tests be Eliminated?

 

Standardized tests have been around since the mid 1800s, but do they actually give us an accurate view on students progress? Many people say no. Standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT are normally taken during your sophomore and junior years of high school, and they are used on college applications and scholarship applications. Many students believe that both of these tests only show which students are good at taking tests, not what they actually know. The ACT and SAT tests take about 3 hours to complete, and many teenagers can’t stay focused for this long with few breaks. During both of these tests, the students get 3 five minute breaks, which many students say is not near enough time to give their minds a break.

 

Another standardized test that many people believe should be banned is the ISASP. This test takes a lot of learning time away from students, and there are many other ways to gauge if a child is improving in the classroom. If many students score badly on the ISASP test, it can lead to that school district receiving less money. The schools are then forced to lay off students, which means that those students aren’t getting the help they might need in the classroom. There are many instances of schools letting kids cheat on these tests so they don’t get less money in the coming year.

 

All in all, there are many arguments against standardized testing as a whole. Many school districts have pushed to get rid of standardized testing, but since the government regulates this testing, they have no choice. Each state is required to administer testing for reading, language arts, and math for grades 3-8 and at least one time in high school. They are also required to give out the science test once in elementary school, once in middle school, and once in high school. Personally, I don’t think the ACT, SAT, and ISASP tests have much of a benefit on students. If anything, it causes more stress on the students, because if they don’t score well it can keep them from getting scholarships or getting into college. I also think that making 3rd graders take standardized tests is not beneficial at all, and it takes away from their time in the classroom.

 

Do you think that standardized tests should be eliminated?

 

Do you think that 3rd grade is too young to be giving standardized tests?

 

https://www.civilbeat.org/2016/05/why-standardized-testing-needs-to-be-abolished/ 

https://www.scillsspartners.org/federal-requirements-for-state-assessments/#:~:text=Under%20the%20Every%20Student%20Succeeds,9%2C%20and%2010%2D12.

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  • I think that standardized tests should be eliminated because a lot of people don't do very well on tests but they no the material. Standardized tests can cause a lot of stress on people and be ineffective. I think that 3rd grade is way too young to be giving out standardized tests. 

    • I agree that 3rd grade is way too young to be giving out these tests. I think that students should be at least in 6th grade before they take the ISASp tests.

  • I think that you are capable of way more things that your standardized test results say. I understand that universities/colleges need something in order to compare students and make a choice. However, I don't really think that a standadized test tells you much about a student's capabilities. 

    • I agree, I think that standardized tests only show which students are good test takers. I think that a more effective way for a university to compare students would be extracurriculars, their grades, and which classes they took in high school.

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