Running head: STANDARDIZED TESTS 1

Standardized Tests

Natalie Castro

The University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

Standardized tests are popular all over the world. Standardized tests are any form of tests

that require test takers to answer the same amount of questions that consist of the same material.

There are different types of tests that can include different types of questions. Schools use these

test to measure a students academic achievement. Although some people in society believe that

this is effective, many others think otherwise. Standardized tests often cause students to feel

stressed out, because they are aware of how it can affect the school as a whole. These tests also

dont prepare students for everyday life experiences and limit their learning abilities. Last but not

least, if a teacher thought of useful material to teach, standardized test wouldnt allow them to

teach this because it doesnt fit the material that appears on the test. Schools should focus on

improving students learning journey.

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Introduction

Standardized tests are any form of tests that require all test takers to answer the same

amount of questions that cover the same material and are scored in a consistent manner.

Everyone in their lives has at least been through the process of standardized testing and

experiences could be good or bad. Standardized testing is usually introduced at the middle school

grade levels. This is when most adolescents are growing intellectually. There are many types of

standardized tests which include multiple choice, true and false, or open-ended questions. Along

with the different types, comes different perspectives on the idea of standardized tests. Some say

that these tests are used to assess the academic achievement of students and some despise that

idea and think otherwise. Theres test such as achievement tests, aptitude tests, college-

admissions tests, and even psychological tests. Many debates focus on whether standardized test

provide reliable or unreliable evaluations of a students intellectual achievement. Standardized

tests become something to debate about when it comes to making important decisions on policies

in schools. Therefore, educators shouldnt rely on standardized test to measure students

intelligence because they cause stress and anxiety, dont prepare students for real life events, and

teachers dont get to teach what they wish to teach.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety in students is very common and a huge factor that causes this are

standardized tests. Stress comes from any situation that makes you feel frustration, anger,

nervousness, anxiousness, nauseous, etc. Frenette (2015) Shannon Miller, school psychologist

with the Germantown Teachers Association, says overall student anxiety is on the rise, especially

in the wake of new Common Core standards and the high-stakes tests attached to them (P.1).
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Reports showed that teachers and parents were concerned with the number of students getting

physically sick and emotionally distressed over the standardized tests that they were taking in the

classroom. Psychologists say that the reason for this is because students are aware of the stakes

that teachers and the school itself go through when they perform poorly. It is also a possibility

for students to feel pressured by their own expectations, fear of failure, or fear of embarrassment

that they arent able to do as well as others. Frenette (2015) When a child is under stress it

disrupts the working memory (P.1). Disrupting a childs working memory isnt going to allow a

student to retain any information in the classroom. According to the ProCon website,

Sacramento Bee reported that test-related jitters, especially among young students, are so

common that the Standford-9 exam comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet in

case a student vomits on it. This shows that test makers are aware of the stress that these tests

may cause to some students. Simpson (2016) ..stress levels far above what they viewed as

healthy, and on average, teens reported stress levels were higher than adults reported stress

levels (P.1). The way that teachers may talk about and approach students about standardized test

may contribute to the stress they feel. Teachers tend to take passing these tests so serious because

they are worried about the scores and how they may affect their job. Simpson (2016) The

effects of standardized tests on a students well-being are varied, from incidents of vomiting to

anxiety attacks, and standardized testing contributes to high levels of stress students are already

facing (P.14). Standardized tests have proven to be harmful to a childs learning experience and

well-being.

Real Life Preparation

Research shows that standardized tests should not measure a students intelligence.

Armstrong (2013) Standardized tests dont value creativity (P.1). Sometimes students write
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creative answers in the margins, but because it doesnt match what they chose the right answer to

be then the response is considered wrong. Standardized tests dont take diversity into

consideration and therefore teach students to think that they are identical to all the people that

have ever taken the test before them. This prevents students from being able to identify

themselves as unique individuals or to see the strengths and weaknesses in others. Armstrong

(2013) Standardized tests reduce the richness of human experience and human learning to a

number or set of numbers. This is dehumanizing (P.1). Students may have deep knowledge of

something specific, but will not ever get recognized because of how poor they might have done

on a test. Tests limit a students abilities and dont allow them to show their own personal

strengths. They arent taught what not to do and what to do in any event outside the classroom.

While children are taking tests, they could be learning new and interesting material that they can

carry with them throughout their lives. According to Ted Dintersmith in Prepare Our Kids for

Life, Not Standardized Tests, schools should teach students how to problem solve,

communicate, have team work, have determination, etc. These are capabilities that standardized

tests do not teach or help our students with. Dintersmith says, kids coming through education

simply trained to follow instructions and jump through hoops are going to be marginalized or

chronically unemployed. Dintersmith states, schools should be schools of possibility and hope

instead of placement and percentile measurement on standardized tests.

Teachers Teaching Opportunities

Armstrong (2013) Because so much emphasis is placed on standardized test results these

days, teachers are spending more and more time teaching to the test (P.1). The American

Institute for Learning and Human Development mentions that if there is ever material that is

useful and favorable to students understanding of the world, will not be taught because it isnt
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being covered in the standardized test that is coming up. Most of the class time is spent taking

actual tests or preparing for the tests and teachers dont get the opportunity to teach new and

interesting information. Teachers often get rewarded or punished based on their test scores which

encourages them to cheat the system for their own good. Standardized tests can also make a

teacher speak about tests in a stressful manner and prevent them from giving informational

instruction on what they find to be useful for students to know.

Conclusion

Research shows all the negative aspects of standardized tests and how stressed and

anxious students feel taking them. This is occurring in schools all over the world on a daily basis.

Standardized tests have been a huge debate for years, but the right people must take action and

pass along the message that schools need to be a place of opportunity and creativity. A

standardized test could only provide so much for an educator. Most adolescents are growing

intellectually at the time that they are taking standardized tests which is why we should take the
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opportunity to prepare them for life and not for a test. The image above shows the exact

representation of what education should be like. Education should be full of creativity and

chances to learn new material on a daily basis. It should give students the opportunity to learn

more about the world in which they live in and should allow them to learn new characteristics

about themselves that may have not known of before. Standardized test only serve the purpose of

causing students stress and anxiety, dont prepare students for life experiences, and dont allow

teachers to teach new material that is useful to students. Research suggest that society should

move past the barrier of standardized test and enter the doors to a whole new learning

experience.
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References

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Standardized Tests - ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2017, from

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