Persuasive Essay On Standardized Testing - 986 Words

Makayla Cecil ENGL-1213-01 Gantz Persuasive Essay 31 October 2017 Standardized Testing is Undermining Education School officials common use of standardized testing as the sole measure of student, school and teacher success has posed the question if these tests are hurting more than they are helping. Universal tests were originally created to check the knowledge of students. However, tests are now being used in ways that the original designers did not anticipate. The scores students earn on these tests not only assess how well the information is taught and retained, but are now also being used in judging the quality of the school. Yet, parents support the tests for these reasons exactly (Agiesta 2). Reaping only the benefits, parents fail†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"If the material in the tests is anticipated and becomes the basis for study, then the results tell us only about the level of prep work and nothing else† (Tanner 4). The results no longer offer valuable insight into students’ academic lives, they merely display how well teachers prepared them for the test. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 required states to test their students in math and reading. Lawmakers passed this so they would have tangible, statistical results to ensure that students were learning the material they needed to be. However, these test score results have morphed into something they were not intended to be used for. Students’ test scores are used as the primary source of information to evaluate the rank of the school and the teachers they employ. Districts nationwide are concentrating heavily on tests because they reflect directly back on the school, considering it either quality or underachieving. Furthermore, test results can be used to judge the effectiveness of a teacher without ever actually stepping foot in his or her classroom. Driven by fear, teachers conform to the test and permit their class to be focused around test material. Tests prevent teachers from educating students on information they consider important because they run out of time, know it will not show up on the test, or possibly both. With their jobs on the line, teachers are not willing to riskShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Standardized Testing921 Words   |  4 PagesStandardized Tests Take out a number two pencil, fill in the bubbles, and pray for a good score. The outcome of standardized tests are life changing, especially in America, so it is imperative to do well on them no matter what. Students, teachers, and schools are all affected by these unfair tests. Not only do studies show the tests do not measure a student’s achievement, they are often biased against certain races and low income students, Americans are so accustomed to these tests that most peopleRead MorePersuasive Essay On Standardized Testing1316 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves through five hours of gruelling testing. All of this nightmarish workload is completed just for the opportunity to attend a college of some recognition and ultimately gain a job in the workforce.   Ã‚  Ã‚   I think it can be agreed by all students that nobody enjoys the ludicrous amount of extra studying that is brought with these tests. It is only an added stress on an already tumultuous time of a young person’s life, and the modification of the standardized test should be seen as an important chapterRead MoreRough Draft Persuasive Essay : No Standardized Testing1093 Words   |  5 Pages Julia Suter Ms. Schlagel English 8 3 December 2015 Rough Draft Persuasive Essay: No Standardized Testing â€Å"High school grades reflect years of effort and are more reliable assessment of college potential than test scores.† Historians detected that standardized testing started back in the seventh-century in China. The government of China began to organize written exams to select people for the civil service. Also many educators try to make sure that they are following the right requirementsRead MoreThe Importance Of Standardized Testing In Education1140 Words   |  5 PagesThe standardized test has become the staple of the United States K12 education system. Students at all levels are routinely tested, and schools evaluated based on the scores. It’s easy to look at this as a necessary part of the system, a needed way of assessing both school and individual student performance to ensure quality across all schools. These tests are regarded as a tried-and true way of doing this, when in reality they are neither old nor accurate in assessment. I move in this essay thatRe ad MoreStandardized Testing and Curriculum Standards Essay1188 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized Testing and Curriculum Standards It cannot be said that all assessments are unnecessary and academically limiting for students. If teachers are to know their students’ strengths and weaknesses, they must formulate a way in which to assess their knowledge. In order to create a curriculum adherent to the most specific needs of a teacher’s class, assessment must play a role when devising the course of action for the academics taught. This does not mean that all standardized testing isRead MoreStandardized Testing Is Not Beneficial1702 Words   |  7 PagesStandardized Testing In the world today standardized testing is mandatory in all schools whether they are public or private. If schools continue to make these test mandatory, students grades will show the reflection of what they are not learning. The school might also receive less state funding due to poor performance on these tests. Once No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was introduced US students slipped from 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 31st in 2009 (Standardized). Standardized testingRead MoreEssentials Of A Good Education By Diane Ravitch996 Words   |  4 Pageschance to obtain an education they can take into the real world. Ms. Ravitch’s argument that the overemphasis on testing for basic skills has led to public school’s neglect of important life and social skills will be evaluated to increase the reader’s understanding of this debated topic. In 2010, Ms. Ravitch was on the other side of this argument, she was a believer in more standardized tests and supported linking test scores to school funding. Society during this time was all about letting schoolsRead MorePhilosophy of Education Essays1644 Words   |  7 Pagesopinion, and cannot show judgment or preference to one student, culture, or background over another. My curriculum will include a lot of cultural information, such as texts from around the world, media articles about international relations and essay prompts that force a student to evaluate cultures and beliefs aside from their own. I will prepare students to enter a diverse world where there is an expectation of understanding and tolerance. This will be achieved by a simulation of a UN conferenceRead MoreEssay about The Demands of Middle School Writing1471 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents to learn how to write a variety of sentence types, as well as to write persuasive and expository essays, research reports, and responses to literature.† (p.82) These researchers have noted that the demands of writing are more complex than just writing five paragraphs compositions on a variety of subjects for English teachers. The ability to write to meet the demands of the curriculum and the state-wide standardized assessment is important for the middle school student, and it is an area ofRead MoreSummary Of I Just Reformed The School System By Prince Ea1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe two pieces I will be covering in this essay are â€Å" I Just Sued the School System† and â€Å"Somewhere in America†. The first one consists of a man named Prince Ea who created this short movie/slam poem where he is in court and suing the school system for being unfair, cruel and old school. Prince backs up his ideas completely with examples in history. The other piece I am comparing is three girls, Belissa Escobedo, Rhiannon McGavin and Zariya Allen, who share their unspoken high school eperiences.