Standardized Testing

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The purpose of this research is to identify how standardized testing is handicapping the education of youth. This dissertation provides insight on the topic of standardized testing. Standardized testing is a blanket term for tests taken for the sole purpose of comparing individual students. Therefore, standardized testing has become a very important factor in the American public school system as well as school systems all around the world. This style of testing dates back to the 19th century with the first standardized test being an intelligence quotient (IQ) test.s These tests are often relied on to decide whether a student passes or fails their grade. The fact that a standardized test could be the determining factor of a student progressing …show more content…
The idea of standardized testing was first developed around 1840. Although, the tests as we know them today were not used until the late 1920s.(Alcocer & Fletcher, 2009) College board created the very first SAT and still is responsible for these tests today. Students begin taking standardized tests in pre-kindergarten and continue the practice through the end of their high school career. On average, by the time a student graduates high school, the individual has taken close to 112 standardized tests.(Strauss, 2015) With the popularity growing of tests such as these, so has the question of reliability. Research has shown that standardized testing is an inaccurate measure of knowledge, the school itself and the cause for much stress in the …show more content…
This is a result of the 2001 No Child Left Behind reform that has been put into place. This reform created a state required test used to evaluate the performance of a school and compare it to others in its region.(Alcocer & Fletcher, 2009) When test scores are viewed, the school boards do not look at the make of the school or percentage of students at the school with disabilities. By leaving out these important factors, schools are being closed even when the students are showing signs of progress.(Erickson, 2012) Highly qualified teachers are leaving the profession due to the style of curriculum they are being forced to teach for a one time test which often leads to loss of interest and less student engagement. Federal funding is not being received by the schools that perform poorly and without the funding the schools can not purchase the materials they need to nurture learning.(Columbia University, 2013) Therefore, standardized test scores should not measure the success of a
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