The Shortcomings of Standardized Testing - 1636 Words

Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the†¦show more content†¦However, this fails to take into account different environments and their influence on the students’ performances. As a result, standardized tests should be specialized to the environment of the lea rners and the educators. According to Ravitch’s article, she changed her mind on the effectiveness of standardized tests four years after advocating for its use in the public education system. The change came after she evaluated its outcome on the American education system. The No Child Left Behind Act was enacted in 2001 to reinforce the statutes of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The act stipulated that all states in the union must formulate assessment methods that would be used to evaluate a student’s understanding of basic concepts. In order for the federal government to allocate budgetary funding to any state for education purposes, the states must assess all students at specific points of their education. Though the act does not necessarily specify a national standard that each state should attain, each state must set in place its own standards. According to Birman, et al., (12) the act increased the federal government’s influence on the curriculum, teachers’ qua lification and funding changes. Birdman et al. assert that the act illuminated the role of educators on the students’ performance. Ravitch seems to share the same sentiments; she states that she never thought the test would be used a measure of teachers’ performance or a tool to closeShow MoreRelatedStandardized Assessment Is The Only Instrument For Measuring Student Learning Outcomes1465 Words   |  6 PagesStandardized testing has been used in the American higher education platforms to assess student achievement at individual,classroom,instructor,school,region, district,state and national levels.The results obtained from standardized tests have provided all parties with information regarding the direction of education and provide catalysts for improvement.Arguments concerning the merits of standardized assessments as a measure of college and university effectiveness have been around since time immemorialRead MoreEssay about Its Time to End School Inequality1141 Wor ds   |  5 Pages The right to an adequate education is a freedom every American child should have; however, that is not the case. Standardized testing reveals that students living in an economically stable neighborhood are more mentally developed than students living in poverty stricken communities. The problem with the educational system is not schools need to close and children need to be relocated to another one, it is inequality within the educational system continues to widen due to the expansionRead MoreEssay On No Child Left Behind Act1247 Words   |  5 Pagesaccountability is the cornerstone of the policy. In the name of accountability, standardized tests are administered to students nationwide. The results of these tests are returned to schools, students, and parents for review of which subject areas are being performed below expectations and statewide average. The schools are then expected to use these results to adjust their teaching rigor and methodol ogy to accommodate any shortcomings (Schraw, 2010). With this mentality, the level of student accountabilityRead More Jesus and Socrates Would Have Difficulty Surviving in America’s Public Education System1652 Words   |  7 Pageseducational crises of poor colored people – distinctively, blacks and Latinos. To put it clearly, the crux is K-12 public education in America is nowhere near as good as it should be, and it is predominantly the poor who bear the brunt of educational shortcomings. Chiefly, we ought to acknowledge that structures and functional dilemmas are inseparable, that institutions and values coexist as a dyadic function. â€Å"Minorities are more prone to attend high-poverty schools – that is, public schools where greaterRead MoreWhat Is Causing America s Academic Shortcomings? Essay1605 Words   |  7 PagesNevin Johnson Chuck Justin English 21 November 2016 What is Causing America’s Academic Shortcomings? Since the beginning of global standardized testing, American students have been less than impressive. Numerous other countries consistently score higher than students in the United States. While comparing the test scores from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), two major cross-national studies of students’ scholasticRead MoreHigh Stakes Testing And The Education System1529 Words   |  7 PagesHigh Stakes Testing has been overly integrated in the education systems. High-stakes testing are used to determine grade retention, school curriculum, and whether or not students will receive a high school diploma (Myers, 2015). Since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, high stakes testing has become the norm and mandating that students must pass a standardized test before moving up in grade. As a special education director, the focus is to ensure the student’s accommodations are being followedRead MoreThe Model Of A Public School Setting914 Words   |  4 Pagesmodels are discussed and considered as viable methods of achieving this goal. Each of these models have been utilized in a public school setting and although all three models are purported to promote equality of opportunity, each possess some shortcoming that detracts from the potential for success. The first model is the Common-School Model that promotes the same equal and common education to students of all social backgrounds as a way of eliminating those very differences. Initially promotedRead MoreTeaching Is Not Be Mastered : No Perfect Method946 Words   |  4 Pages Teaching is an art that cannot be mastered; no perfect method exists and often the lines between teacher and student blur. Being a teacher requires balancing the two, keeping in mind the duties of a teacher as well as your own shortcomings. â€Å"Good teaching is forever pursuing better teaching; it is always dynamic and in motion, always growing, learning, developing, searching for a better way (Ayers 160).† Tests have always been a quality assessment of learning and ability, but they don’t accuratelyRead MoreThe Use Of Ketamine As A Narcotic Medication Prescribed As An Anesthetic Agent And An Analgesic Essay891 Words   |  4 Pagesintranasal ketamine data (Lee, Della Selva, Liu and Himelhoc h, 2005). One shortcoming can be found in Lee et al. s analysis of meta-analysis s results. The overall effect size for day 1 had an overall standardized mean difference of 1.01, which, based on the lecture we were given the day this assignment was assigned, can be deemed as statistically questionable(dissimilar to what the meta-analysis states). Another shortcoming can be discovered in Price et al. (2014)’s moral limitations. Because theRead MoreProject Classroom Makeover By Cathy Davidson1384 Words   |  6 Pagestoo, playing games with their friends online and, of course, sharing music files online.† (49) In other words, technology is what most children are exposed to and they learn in ways in which only technology can teach them. With little exposure to standardized teaching and learning, a child may expect to learn in a way that is applicable to his or her everyday lifestyle. If children are used to retrieving information through a computer rather than a textbook, then why not make an adjustment that fits