The intentions of those who desire to uphold high stakes testing (GRAD Standards and MCA) in Minnesota are the same as the individuals seeking to eliminate high stakes testing. Both sides of this argument believe their strategy will help to close the achievement gap and improve educational quality. In 2000, “A random survey found that 85% of Minnesota teachers were in favor of high stakes testing” (Yeh, 2005, p. 8). Many of these teachers believed high stakes testing would increase student and teacher accountability. In addition, carefully analyzing specific state standards compared to tests results would give teachers valuable information when students failed to meet standards. Yet by 2015, “Hundreds of Minnesota teachers expressed their concerns about the validity of these mandated high stakes tests” (Magan, 2015, p. 1).…show more content… This rapid change in perspective should make one question whether or not high stakes testing is an effective educational tool. In Minnesota, one of these high stakes tests was the GRAD Standards. Had politicians followed through in requiring all students to pass the GRAD Standards exam in order to graduate from High School, graduation rates would have shown substantial decline. “As many as 1/3 of all Minnesota high school graduates wouldn’t have graduated since they didn’t pass the math section of the GRAD test” (Magan, 2015 p. 3). While successful scores on the GRAD Standards is no longer included on student transcripts, the overuse and inefficiency of high stakes testing continues to have a negative impact on the Minnesota education system. High stakes testing wastes school funding, facilitates anxiety, incentivizes cheating and teaching to the test, and diminishes the higher cognitive thinking skills essential for a meaningful and holistic understanding of
