The Downside of Standardized Testing

Children in the United States are tested “to an extent that is unprecedented in our history and unparalleled anywhere else in the world.” The federal No Child Left behind Act has triggered a standardized testing “explosion,” the repercussions of which have been felt throughout the nation. Standardized tests are those where “all students answer the same questions under similar conditions and their responses are scored in the same way, and may include multiple-choice or open-ended (constructed) responses.” These tests become “high-stakes” when the test results are used to determine significant decisions about student education, such as passing a grade level or graduating. Standardized test results in the U.S. are also being used to measure the performances of teachers, schools, and school districts

Standardized Testing

When we do standardized assessments um there’s one in particular that we use and when you follow like the standardized protocol you do every test item in order. Um and that’s the way you are expected to do the test protocol that’s the only way it’s standardized assessment but I have never met a therapist in my entire life who goes in that order. There’s def [Inaudible as speaker and collector say something at once.] There’s an unspoken rule between therapists that you do similar test items together. (Okay) So like um some of the test has um kids imitate block designs like building with little blocks. Um and you would never like you would never ask a kid to build a tower and then take the blocks away and then, give them uh beads to string and then take the beads away and then give them the blocks back and back and forth. So like every therapist gives them cause they’re like, the test is set up so it’s developmental. So they should be able to stack two blocks and then they should be able tooo uummm, gosh I don’t know the next item, but, but they don’t go. And then and then five items later then they should be able to stack five blocks. But I’m not gonna give a kid two blocks and be like “Stack it!” [said in tone as if to child]. Um you know I’m gonna give them all the blocks and see how high they can stack. (right) And then I’ll count all the test items they got correct. Um, or then there’s another one where you imitate a train so you put three blocks, down and then one on top. And so when the kid has the blocks I just ask them to do all of the block items. Um and then there’s writing items. So there’s that you know one item is drawing a vertical line and another item is drawing a horizontal line another one is drawing a circle um. And those test items are spread out throughout the assessment but I just give them all the writing together

Standardized Testing of Non-Standard Photovoltaic Pavement Surfaces

Emerging photovoltaic products have expanded the applications for the technologies into markets previously unconsidered for what was thought to be a delicate electronic product. One company leading this effort, Solar Roadways, Incorporated, is producing pavement replacing photovoltaic systems and proposing their use in everything from sidewalks to runways. Current pavement testing methods cannot be applied to these non-homogenous structures to identify if they can support the required loads. However, the standards called out specifically for pavements may be able to be translated to these products and their non-homogenous structures and non-standard materials to identify if they are able to perform similarly to standard pavements. This research modified existing test standards in several ways: rigid pavements standards for advanced loading, structural adhesive standards for shear loading, structure specific standards for moisture conditioning, and application specific standards for freeze/thaw cycling. These modifications are due to the fact that the materials in these emerging products do not have established tests to evaluate their performance in non-traditional applications. The future of electronics is dependent on product unique applications. This, in turn, requires finding methods of testing them based on application, extrapolation, or correlation to traditional material testing which enables faster product development and subsequent roll out

Standardized Testing: What is it Good For? A Case Study in Connecticut

The case study was developed in an attempt to shed more light on the debate of standardized testing. The goal of the study was to find evidence to support whether or not standardized testing is worth doing in public secondary schools. To investigate this question, the state standardized math test scores of three Connecticut public high schools were analyzed. The average math scores over thirteen years were observed and statistical analysis was performed to see if any significant differences existed between the three schools. Tests were performed before and after the change in standardized test. The graduation rates of the schools were observed and compared to the trend of the CAPT mean math scores over time. This analysis was then supplemented with responses from a survey distributed to Connecticut high school math teachers to take into consideration the educators’ views of standardized testing. Both the quantitative and qualitative data had conflicting results. The standardized test scores appeared to improve over time, while the teachers found their teaching and student learning was interfered with the testing. Following the analyses, future implications of using standardized testing and how it may affect the transition to the Common Core Standards is discussed. -

Teacher perspectives on standardized testing of achievement in Ireland

In the years since 2007 the role of standardized testing in Irish primary (elementary schools has become increasingly prominent. All schools are now required to administer tests in English reading and mathematics in 2nd, 4th and 6th grades, and to report aggregated results to their Boards of Management and the Department of Education and Skills (DES). Schools are also required to share the results with parents/guardians at the three mandatory testing points and to do this in written format using end-of-year school reports DES, 2011. As of September 2017, the results are used at national level as part of the process involved in determining the allocation of special educational teaching resources to schools DES, 2017. The research described in this paper represents a collaboration between the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education (CARPE) based at Dublin City University and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) - the largest teachers' trade union in Ireland representing 95%+ of all teachers at the elementary level. In examining elementary teachers use of and attitudes to standardized tests at a time when the stakes associated with this form of assessment are growing, the research exemplifies the AERA 2020 conference theme: “The Power and Possibilities for the Public Good When Researchers and Organizational Stakeholders Collaborate.

Inequalities of Standardized Testing

Minorities in America are constantly facing inequalities throughout different portions of their life. The school system is is an area of these inequalities that does not get enough attention to work to change it. Specifically the area of Standardized testing as they have been holding more power in regards to children\u27s futures. By learning more about what inequalities these minority students face we can work to help prevent them

Re-Taking the Test

Application of Avital Ronnell's theory of the "test drive" to high-stakes standardized testing in K-12 schooling

Reading Muscles: Preparation for Standardized Testing in High School Students

As educators, it is our responsibility to help students in their journey to academic growth and discovery. Being such, many teachers find themselves struggling for that perfect balance between making students more comfortable and pushing them outside of their comfort zones. Many Language Arts teachers, if asked, would likely state that when they hold test preparation activities, the class is run in a relatively similar manner as it might be on any other given day. Yes, the reading material and subsequent questions might have been acquired from a test preparation booklet appropriate to the students’ grade level, but most other circumstances remain stable, unchanged. Students are often only expected to complete one reading and one coinciding set of questions with minimal limitations on where and from whom they might attain assistance when a problem occurs. The material is test preparation-worthy but the situation is not

School Grades: Identifying British Columbia's Best Schools

Standardized testing is a controversial subject, particularly in British Columbia. However, as this Commentary argues, standardized test results can be a valuable resource as long as they are placed into the proper context. It is no surprise that students who have parents with more education or speak English as a first language do far better on standardized tests than otherwise disadvantaged students. This Commentary compares outcomes in British Columbia schools where students come from similar backgrounds.education papers, social policy, standardized testing, elementary schools, Foundation Skills Assessment

The Impact of Standardized Testing

This paper will discuss the issues revolving around standardized testing and the detrimental effects it has on student’s mental health and testing anxiety. This will also show how it can limit and hinder the students long term learning in the future with standardized and high-stakes testing. It will also show how changes could be made in school systems to help better their students and their learning. The focus is on Pennsylvania testing due to the amount of standardized testing they provide their students