Standardized Testing

In an effort to measure the gain of knowledge and skills of students within the public school system, school administrators applied what is now well known as standardized testing. The scores from these test are used in making a variety of important decisions that greatly impact both students and teachers. Which often lead to an increased amount of pressure being placed on teachers to ensure that their students are prepared for the test, this pressure is often unintentionally placed onto students as well. Since the test was first implemented many have voiced concerns as to whether or not the test is an appropriate means of assessment. The largest concern being whether the test allows students from low socioeconomic communities an equal opportunity …show more content…
Step into any public school classroom and it will almost seem as if standardized testing has completely taken over the curriculum. Teachers spend countless hours preparing their students for the test to the best of their ability. Schools spend millions of dollars purchasing test materials that promise to help improve test scores. Often, schools from low socioeconomic areas sacrifice funds for classes such as art and music in order to purchase test materials. When such schools are unable to gather the funds needed to purchase test preparation materials, then they are unable to properly prepare for the test leading to low test scores. This causes the public and school administrators to consider them as having low educational quality. As a result policy makers distribute materials and funds to other schools. The problem with this is that the standardized test was not intended to be used in measuring the quality of learning or teaching. According to research by Kohn (2000), the test have been designed “so that only about half the test-takers will respond correctly to most items” (p.1). The main objective of the test was to rank students not measure the quality of …show more content…
This causes many to become curious as to how it is exactly that questions are chosen for the test. According to test designers the questions chosen for the test require a set of knowledge and skills likely to be regarded as important by most of the nation’s school districts. Although test creators do the best they can to choose test items that allow all students equal opportunity to succeed. They are often unable to do so due to the diversity in curriculum across the United States, therefore trying to achieve such a goal is much like, as Popham (1999) has stated, “Trying to wear one-size-fits-all clothing.” it is simply impossible to do

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