Standardized Testing

Education Getting Left Behind
Standardized tests are uniform tests that are developed by testing industries to be administered and scored the same way to students locally and nationwide. Under the ‘No Child Left Behind’ (NCLB) law enacted in 2002, high-stakes standardized tests have flooded our nation’s public schools and transformed our education communities into testing boot camps. The current emphasis placed on standardized testing undermines the significance of individuality and curiosity that naturally occurs in the learning process. Students are told to not ask questions, pick the best answer, and fill in the bubble letter that corresponds to the question. This standard is killing creativity, critical thinking, and depriving students …show more content…
Standardized tests, such as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), have become the “measuring tape” in our public education. Beyond the state-mandated STAAR tests in math and reading, my daughter is required to take monthly Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) tests, as well as tri-annual MAP testing. Additionally, students are required to take eight, three-hour long, practice STAAR test leading up to the “big” test day. When test day finally arrives, teachers and students are burnt out, mentally drained, and a nervous wreck. Proponents of standardized testing, like the GISD, claim that high-stakes tests provide reliable data to measure a students’ academic performance and “provide a basis for making wise decisions regarding course offerings” (“Testing Programs”). It is clear after analysis that standardized test do not provide accurate data on students’ abilities, can be stressful for both students and teachers, and cannot provide an accurate representation of a student’s future or …show more content…
Performance-based assessments are created and scored by teachers and school communities. Unlike standardized tests, performance assessments involve critical thinking skills and knowledge application that are valuable in the real world. Some methods used in performance-based assessments are open-ended questions, presentations, projects, experiments, research papers, etc… According to National Center for Fair and Open Testing, “the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) creates valuable opportunities to replace standardized tests with performance assessments. States can shift to better assessments under ESSA’s Innovative Assessment pilot program. They can also revise their accountability systems to match ESSA’s less onerous requirements. Together, these changes will reduce pressure to boost test scores and create opportunities for schools and districts to overhaul local assessments. (“Overhauling Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning…”.). As a society, we must come together and advocate for assessment reform in our public education system. Communities across the nation are joining forces by the thousands to opt-out of standardized-testing. This is sending the message to local and state officials that we need change. It is our duty as parents and educators to guide our children’s

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