Standardized Tests, Article Review Example

Standardized Tests & Problems In Education

Standardized testing has long been at the center of educational debates.  There is a great emphasis on gauging the classroom learning of students and how to do so effectively. In a recent New York Times article, Clara Hemphill, the senior editor for the center for New York City Affairs, suggests that educational tests are “too much to bear” for students, parents and teachers (2011).  The push for standardized testing is meant to determine the knowledge base of students and the effectiveness of their teachers. Hemphill suggests that the excessive testing has “sapped so much of the joy from the classroom and pushed so many teachers to replace creative, imaginative lessons with timid and defensive ones” (2011).  The author suggests that tests are necessary and serve a useful purpose, however are not precise instruments that should dictate the effectiveness of the teacher or complete intelligence level of a student. The author goes on to say that learning is made up of a good teacher, attentive parent and ordinary growth, according to the article, not only a test.

Effectiveness of Standardized Testing

Educators throughout America have felt the crunch of standardized testing for students. There is a huge push to ensure that no child is left behind and that students are learning and mastering lessons as they should be. In theory the idea of testing to ensure mastery is an excellent way to gauge progress; however some theorists have noted problems with testing. According to Parrillo, some critics argue that “IQ tests do not measure innate abilities exclusively…these tests appraise only certain intellectual aptitudes language, mathematics, reasoning and spatial and symbolic relationships” (2005). As imagined the text points out a valid point that there are many other factors and intellectual abilities that form overall intelligence. What this suggests is that the testing process may be skewed by factors such as heredity or environment and may not be an accurate depiction of the students true ability. As noted in the article written by Hemphill, teachers are also being scrutinized for students tests scores, which may not have a direct relationship to on his/her teaching ability. There is much controversy over the testing of students and how there are gaps in the process, however most agree that there has to be some system of checks and balances in the educational system. Standardized testing has flaws and one of the most controversial is the stigma or labeling that takes place. The text notes that students can quickly feel intimidated or overwhelmed from low achievement on tests (Parrillo, 2005). Being overwhelmed can lead the student to feel less than adequate and even skew their overall beliefs and feelings about the entire educational process. Not only does labeling happen at the educator level, but also by the student’s peers, which can lead to emotional difficulty for the student for many years to come. This can affect self-esteem, beliefs about themselves and lead to their feeling of deserving less than others, therefore hindering their entire learning process (Parrillo, 2005).

I have very mixed feelings about standardized testing. I do believe that there needs to be some type of system to evaluate students’ progress and mastery, however on the flip side I see how there are many other factors that play a role in testing. Some students, just like adults, are not good test takers. They may have test anxiety or a fear of the testing process or possibly a negative self-esteem, which may lead to lowered test scores. That is the very reason that there is such a controversy over standardized testing and creates a problem or gap in the educational system. While it is necessary to use standardized testing, I believe that caution should be used before labeling a child based on test scores alone.

References

Hemphill, C. (2011, May 30). Too Much For Tests to Bear – Room for Debate – NYTimes.com. The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved June 4, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/05/30/testing-students-to-grade-teachers/too-much-for-tests-to-bear?scp=7&sq=standardized%20tests&st=cse

Parrillo, V. N. (2005). Contemporary social problems (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.