Noble, Pifer

Natalie Noble
Jacob Pifer
Mr. Gross
English 12 B (3)
9 May 2014
Eliminate the Testing
Angela is a hardworking student in Texas. She struggles with subjects such as English
language arts and reading because her parents are Hispanic immigrants and she has not had the
opportunity to learn the English language like her native-born American peers. In fifth-grade
Angela was required to take an untimed standardized test that would determine her admissibility
into sixth-grade. While most of her classmates finished their tests by noon, Angela did not finish
until six-thirty in the evening. Exhausted and with tears in her eyes, she dropped her pencil on
her desk and said, Im done (This Standardized 1). This poor child most likely went to bed
that night feeling inadequate and uncertain about her future, her personal qualities and
achievements overshadowed by a test. Standardized testing must be eliminated from the United
States education system. These high-stakes tests create strong negative emotions in children and
teenagers. In addition, standardized tests do not accurately show students academic
achievement. Finally, the scores of standardized tests are used to cast a false reflection upon the
teaching abilities of educators. Although some colleges claim standardized testing is effective for
determining recipients of scholarships, the ridiculous time limits on these tests prevent students
from performing their best. An evaluation of each students high school career through a
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portfolio-based assignment would be a far more effective alternative to the rigid procedures of
standardized testing used today and must replace these high stakes tests.
Standardized testing causes many students to feel distressed and unconfident about
themselves. Incredible weight is placed on these exams, including college admissibility,
scholarships, class rank, and for younger students, continuation on to the next grade. It is not
surprising, then, that standardized testing evokes a great deal of unhealthy stress on students.
According to Tim Urdan, an assistant psychology professor at Santa Clara University,
elementary students attempt to relieve their stress through behaviors such as vomiting, wetting
themselves, and temper tantrums. In 2002 these behaviors became such an issue that
standardized tests administered in California incorporated instructions for teachers in the event
that students vomited on their tests (Evans 3). However, it is not these extreme behaviors that are
unwarrantedit is the anxiety-provoking standardized testing that is unjustified. These high-
stakes tests also lower many students self-esteem. In the first grade students in Michigan must
begin taking the Michigan Educational Assessment Program, also known as the MEAP. A six-
year-old child who does not achieve a certain score on this test is labeled as not proficient
(Michigan Department of Education 1). This child may accept this label of inadequacy, which
would greatly affect his or her future academic performance. Such feelings of inadequacy may
even spread to other areas of the childs life. The negative emotions fueled by standardized tests
are pointless and damaging and must be eliminated in the United States.
True academic intelligence cannot be accurately determined by standardized tests.
According to Gerald Bracey, an education expert, standardized tests do not assess critical
thinking, creativity, or motivation. Instead, the multiple-choice format of these tests promotes
the false idea that only one correct solution exists for real-life situations. In addition, many
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questions do not actually test material covered in classrooms. The following mathematical
question appeared on a standardized test for tenth-graders in Massachusetts (Khon 1):
n 1 2 3 4 5 6
t
n
3

5 __ __ __ __
The first two terms of a sequence, t
1
and t
2
, are shown above as 3 and 5. Using the
rule: t
n
= t
n-1
+ t
n-2
, where n is greater than or equal to 3, complete the table.

This problem requires no mathematical skill; students must simply follow a pattern to complete
the table. However, many students would panic at the sight of this question and answer
incorrectly because they are not familiar with the notation. It seems as though the writers of
standardized tests are more focused on tricking students than they are on measuring students
academic skills. The confusing and inapplicable questions on standardized tests cannot possibly
measure a students intelligence or future potential. Standardized testing must be eradicated in
the United States education system.
Not only do standardized tests falsely reflect students academic performance, they also
falsely reflect the teaching ability of instructors, who are unfairly rated upon the scores their
students receive on these ridiculous tests. If multiple students in a particular class earn poor
scores on a standardized test, their teachers job could be at risk. Some teachers have become so
concerned with their job security that they have turned to various cheating techniques in order to
improve their students test scores. For example, at Charles Seipelt Elementary School in Ohio,
one fifth-grade teacher got a sneak peek of the upcoming state test and created a study guide for
his students (USA Today 1). Another scandal took place at an inner-city school in Philadelphia,
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where four teachers and a principal were charged with reviewing confidential test questions with
students and altering students incorrect responses. According to the jury evaluating this case, the
cheating tactics lasted five years before the educators were caught. Once the cheating ended, the
schools scores dropped immenselythe reading proficiency of fifth-graders dropped 34%,
while the students math proficiency dropped 40%. Not surprisingly, the amount of teacher
promotions, school funding, and state awards also dropped (Dale 1). Standardized testing has
created a vicious cycle in the United States education system. First, students are not prepared to
succeed due to inapplicable and overly-complicated test questions. Second, because teachers
jobs depend upon their students scores, some teachers are willing to cheat in order to improve
test performances. Educators, who are supposed to be role models of honesty, integrity, and hard
work, have instead become cheaters and liars due to the heavy weight placed on standardized
tests. This completes the cycle by further discouraging students confidence, and in in turn,
performance, during high-stakes tests. Since standardized tests do not actually test academic
ability and instead only cause students to feel poorly about themselves and some teachers to
either lose their jobs or become cheaters, they must be eliminated in the United States.
Some colleges and universities argue standardized test scores are a good way to
determine recipients of scholarships and honors. For example, at Montana State University,
standardized test scores are weighted heavily during scholarship selection. The chart below
shows the amount of money a student may receive based on their standardized test score.
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For each additional point received on the ACT, the scholarship amount increases by one
thousand dollars each year for four years (Non-Resident... 1). This method of determining
scholarship awards is unfair because the strict time limits on standardized tests make it nearly
impossible for students to perform their best. On the American College Test, also known as the
ACT, students have just sixty minutes to answer sixty math problems and only thirty-five
minutes for science and reading, which each contain forty questions (Description of the ACT
1). These time constraints leave little time for students to carefully analyze questions or check
their work. Standardized testing is discriminatory against many hardworking students who take
time to give their best effort, and must be removed in the United States education system.
A far more effective alternative to standardized testing that must be implemented
throughout the United States is a portfolio-based assessment. This type of testing requires
students to compile their work from different subject areas, such as English and science, and
reflect on the assignments they completed throughout each course. This encourages students to
think critically about their personal learning methods. By understanding the atmosphere in which
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they learn best, students have the ability to improve their education during college and everyday
life (Peterson, Neil 1). The portfolio assessment method is used in various countries around the
world, including a few parts of the United States, with success. A large advantage of this method
of assessment is the time period in which it spans. Unlike standardized tests, which test students
memorization skills across a very short amount of time, portfolio assessments allow students to
provide quality work over a long period of time (1). Since students have more time to complete
their portfolio, they have the opportunity to improve it based on suggestions from peers and
teachers
Different schools use different techniques to grade portfolio-based assessments. A
common approach includes the involvement of various teachers and community members
(Peterson, Neil 1). For this method, at the end of each marking period, a students portfolio is
evaluated by his or her teacher. Using a point scale, the teacher grades the students work and
also leaves written comments on ways to improve the portfolio. These periodic evaluations allow
parents and teachers to track their students academic progress. To ensure teachers follow proper
guidelines for the portfolio assessment, random portfolios are selected from each classroom at
certain points of the school year. Multiple community members, including teachers from other
schools, individually evaluate the portfolios. If these evaluations differ too much from the
evaluation made by the students teacher, steps are taken to determine the teachers consistency
and teaching quality (1). For example, a larger sample of portfolios may be given to a larger
selection of community members for evaluation. Unlike a standardized test such as the ACT, a
portfolio can truly focus on each persons individual academic abilities. It is far more effective at
measuring students academic success than standardized testing, and must replace these high-
stakes tests.
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Angela, a fifth grade student from Texas, had to endure a standardized test she was not
prepared for because she could not speak English as well as her peers. This test reduced her to
tears as she needed more than six extra hours than her classmates to complete it. There is no
doubt this event lowered her self-esteem, and it is truly sickening that this is happening to
students at the age of ten. Standardized tests like these stir strong negative emotions in children
and teenagers, including distress and inadequacy. Moreover, these tests affect students emotions
in vain because they do not show students true academic abilities. In order to be successful on
standardized tests, students must simply memorize the confusing vocabulary and concepts used
by test-creators. Finally, standardized tests are also wrongly used to evaluate educators and the
quality of their teaching. With this system, teachers can potentially lose their jobs if a few
students decide to be lazy during a test or if students do not understand what is being asked of
them in the test directions. Some universities argue these test scores are an effective way to
determine recipients of scholarships and honors, but they are sorely mistaken in this belief due to
the strict time limits put on standardized tests. The preeminent way of eliminating these tests is
to adopt a new method of assessing students education. The most successful method to adopt is
the portfolio-based assessment, which focuses on a students true academic and developmental
skills. Students must no longer be labeled by a test score and teachers must no longer be
punished by such inaccurate labels. Standardized testing must be eliminated in the United States.




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Works Cited
Dale Maryclaire. 5 Educators Charged in Philadelphia Test Cheating. Yahoo! News. Yahoo!
Web. 08 May 2014. http://news.yahoo.com/5-educators-charged-philadelphia-test-
cheating-140510044.html
"Description of the ACT." Test Descriptions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/descriptions/
Edelstein, Daniel. Brain Connection Powered by Posit Science - Your Brain Health
Headquarters. Brain Connection RSS. N.p., 12 July 2000. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/
Evans, Jasmine. "Problems With Standardized Testing (page 3)." Problems With Standardized
Testing Page 3. N.p., 4 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Test_Problems_Seven/
Kohn, Alfie. "Whoever Said There's No Such Thing As a Stupid Question Never Looked
Carefully at a Standardized Test." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Sept.
2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alfie-kohn/whoever-said-
theres-no-su_b_966553.html
MDE Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). MDE Michigan Educational
Assessment Program (MEAP). Web. 09 May 2014. http://www.mi.gov/mde/0,1607,7-
140-22709_31168---,00.html
Non-Resident Fall 2013 Freshmen Scholarships. Office of Admissions. Web. 09 May 2014.
http://www.montana.edu/admissions/scholarshipsnonres.shtml
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Peterson, Bob, and Monty Neill. Preview of Article. Rethinking Schools Online. Web. 07 May
2014. http://www.rethinkingschools.org/restrict.asp?path=archive/13_03/assess.shtml
"This Standardized Testing Story Will Break Your Heart." GOOD. N.p., 3 May 2011. Web. 12
Nov. 2013. http://magazine.good.is/articles/this-standardized-testing-story-will-break-
your-heart