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Megan Walsh

Teaching ELL

Professor Stewart

27 February, 2017

Standards or Not? That is the Question

Standards and standardized testing have become become a controversial topic for debate.

People question whether they are helpful or not. Standardized testing began in 2001, when the

United States congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which is a standards-based

education reform that required states to start basic skills assessments in order to receive federal

funding (Klein, 2015). The main purpose of it was to hold teachers and schools accountable for

student learning and to close the achievement gap between more advantaged students and

minority groups.

Then in 2015, President Barack Obama replaced NCLB with a new act called the Every

Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This was made to encourage higher academic standards and to

eliminate the one size fits all approach which was a big part of the NCLB. It did not seem to fit

for every student (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 2010). President Obama claimed that

this new assessment system will better capture higher-order skills, provide more accurate

measures of student growth, and better inform classroom instruction to respond to academic

needs (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 2010).

Today there still is federally mandated standardized testing, however ESSA gives states

more flexibility. Annual assessments now can be separated into shorter tests and given to

students at different times throughout the school year. English Language Learners (ELL) do not
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need to take these tests during their first twelve months of enrollment in a US school, but they

are required to complete it after this period even if they have not reaching English literacy. The

real question is whether or not standards and standardized testing is necessary. People have

different views about this issue.

First, the multiple supporters of standardized testing claim the government needs these

tests to better understand student achievement. These tests hold both the schools and the teachers

accountable for student test results. This ensures that students are being taught the correct

content. The scores from the tests are available to the teachers, so they have the ability to use

these to help improve their own instruction (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 2010). Since

the teachers have the ability to see exactly which students struggled with what, this can be

extremely helpful for English Language Learners. These results can be used to help teachers

identify different subjects that need to be covered more extensively, and it can help them develop

strategies to help students meet the state-adopted academic standards and reach English literacy.

Also, schools can assess whether or not the English Language Learners are doing poorly. If they

are, they can easily develop programs and support services designated specifically for this group.

Next, supporters believe that standardized testing helps teachers see whether a student is

performing at grade level and how they scored relatively to other students across their district,

state, and even nation. This makes the test easy to make comparisons. The Common Core

Standards, being more and more common throughout the country, is making this even easier.

Also, supporters of standardized testing believe these tests are closing the achievement gap.

According to the US Department of Education, the elementary school achievement in english

and math was at an all time high after the NCLB was passed. They believe that the increase in
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scores comes from pressure on educators to teach students better to adhere to the new regulations

(No child left behind act is working, 2006). Standardized tests also help prepare students for

the SAT, ACT, and other tests that students are required to take in the future. Teachers use

instructional time on testing strategies which will helps these students throughout their academic

careers and help them be on the the to success.

In contrast, critics of standardized testing claim that these mandatory tests emphasize

memorization over the development of important twenty-first century skills, like critical thinking

and creativity. According the Kamenetz, students spend one quarter of the school year on testing

strategies, covering the material that is on the tests, and completing the actual assessment

(Kamenetz, 2015, p. 16). People claim this limits time for discussion, hands-on experiments, and

co-curricular activities. These activities are extremely important for English Language Learners

who might be struggling in the classroom and need more interactive and hands on instruction.

Another common criticism of standardized testing is that it could potentially place

students in a passive learning role of memorizing facts. This memorization requires no higher

order thinking. Students are not asking questions, thinking critically, analyzing information, and

challenging ideas. Researchers comment, much of what is done under NCLB is done to increase

scores on stultified tests, not to engage students in a world which they will succeed (Kamenetz,

2015, p. 5). Also, many standardized tests were developed for the assessment of native English

speakers, not English Language Learners. Those that are against standardized testing claim it is

unfair to ask English Language Learners questions about topics that they might not be familiar

with or even understand.

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When I first began researching this topic I did not know much about it. I was surprised,

but extremely hopeful about the new format of standardized testing in the state of California. I

think the way the new testing, known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and

Progress (CAASPP), is much more helpful for students. It is composed of computer-based

questions that adjusts the follow-up questions based on student answers and a written component

that asks students to solve real world problems (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 2010). I

think that the adaptability of the test is very helpful for students. It helps the teacher see what

students need to work on. Also, since the questions do not get harder if they miss one, it could

potentially boost a students confidence.

After reading more articles, I am now more familiar with the achievement gap between

native English speakers and English Language Learners. Even though there are improvements

from the previous tests, only two percent of English Language Learners scored in the standard

met category on both math and language arts. Something that is even more shocking, is that

65% of English Language Learners did not meet the standards for their grade level (State

Schools Chief Torlakson Calls First Year of CAASPP Results Californias Starting Point

Toward Goal of Career and College Readiness). I understand that our states educational system

is moving in the right direction with the adoption of these new assessments and the Common

Core Standards, but the quarter of Californias student population that are English Language

Learners are still facing challenges.

As I am going to school to be a teacher, I believe that standardized testing and the

regulations attached to them should undergo some changes in order to support minority groups

and English Language Learners. I am not saying that we should get rid of these tests all together,
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but there are definitely some changes that can be put into place. First, I think that English

Language Learners who score below a certain level on the exam should be given the option to

take the test in their native language, even if they have been enrolled in a school in America for

over twelve months. I think this could potentially show teachers that students understand how to

solve and answer complex problems when it is in their native language, and that the language

barrier is causing them not to succeed. I also think the time in the classroom that is spent

preparing students for standardized test could easily be spent in a different way. Teachers can use

this time to work on students English literacy and better their twenty-first century skills.

I definitely believe that standards and standardized testing are needed, but they can be

changed to better set all students up for success. There have been major improvements since No

Child Left Behind was first put into effect, but there is still more our state and even country can

do. Forcing English Language learners to memorize various facts and formulas will not really

helps English Language Learners on their English literacy. However, the having more diverse

assessments that focus more on real world applications will ensure these students are more

successful inside and outside of the classroom.

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Works Cited

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). U.S. Department of Education. N.p., 2010. Web. 19

February 2017. <https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn>

Kamenetz, A.. The test: Why Our Schools are Obsessed with Standardized Testing but You Dont

Have to Be. New York: Public Affairs. 2015.

Klein, A.. No Child Left Behind: An Overview. Education Week. N.p., 10 April, 2015.

Web. 19 February 2017. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-

behind-overview-definition-summary.html>

No Child Left Behind Act is Working. US Department of Education. N.p., 2006. Web.

21 February 2017. <http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/overview/importance/nclbworking.html>

State Schools Chief Torlakson Calls First Year of CAASPP Results Californias Starting Point

Toward Goal of Career and College Readiness. California Department of Education.

N.p., 2015. Web. 22 February 2017. <http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr15/

yr15rel69.asp>